


You'll Always Have Me

by PoisonedCupcakes



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, It's fucked up, M/M, Multi, Not Happy, Not Romance, Physical Abuse, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-30 12:32:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 26,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15096794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonedCupcakes/pseuds/PoisonedCupcakes
Summary: It's the old story. Two people meet. They notice they are attracted to each other. One (David) is already in a relationship and the other is a complete psycho and sabotages the relationship so they can get together. And when they finally are he makes sure they'll never split up again.It's not romantic, and if you say "relationship goals" you should really take a closer look at your own relationships.





	1. Idyllic

**Author's Note:**

> You could probably use this fiction as a guide on how to abuse and manipulate your partner. But please don't.  
> I'll write from both the point of view of Daniel (the abuser) and David (the abused) so... it's going to be tough for me and I was really indifferent about writing it because I'll have to go to a really dark place mentally. So if I have trouble keeping up with my schedule, be patient.
> 
> Maybe I'll have to edit the characters, relationships and/or tags while writing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited the chapters to add a few more paragraphs to make it easier to read.

David practically laid in his armchair in the counsellor cabin, a cup of hot chocolate in his hands and looking through the window, watching the snow fall to the ground and covering the surrounding trees in a thick, white blanket, that swallowed every sound.

He loved the camp in summer, buzzing with life and the laughter of the happy campers, but winter... it gave the whole place a quiet and calm atmosphere as if they were trapped in a snow globe. A small bubble with only the cabin and a few trees around in it. It was just beautiful. Things were more relaxed, too.

They could choose when to do their chores. It was early afternoon and he contemplated to take a nap, something he could never do in summer. Even if he would want to. When the kids were around and he had to be the responsible adult (or at least try to be one) and do everything to ensure they wouldn't kill each other or themselves.

Gwen made a strange sound and David turned to look at his co-counsellor. His friends often asked how it came that he and Gwen never dated. Even his girlfriend had gotten jealous at first when she saw how much time they spent together and how close they were. And he had asked himself why they never became a couple, too. Gwen was fun to be around. She knew how to handle anything. And her eyes held a sparkle in them which made her whole face light up.

She was funny, smart and pretty. A perfect catch and in another life he would have fallen head over heels for her ages ago. But she was his best friend and co-worker. He never even considered her in that way until someone brought it up.  
          He had thought about it and maybe, maybe he had a crush on her. But decided to not risk the friendship by asking her out.

Now she sat on the table next to him, a cup of hot chocolate in front of her, reading on her phone with furrowed brows and gnawing on her lower lip.  
          “Everything alright?”, he asked, worry in his voice.  
          “Huh? Oh yeah. It's just this article... Makes me a bit upset.” She slid the device over to David so he could read it himself.  
          He quickly scanned the page on which was opened an article from Psychology Today.

_More than three million incidents of domestic violence are reported each year, including both men and women. Nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States._

He stopped to look up.   
          “20 people per minute? Gosh, that's horrible.”  
          “Read further.”

 _During one year, this equates to more than 10 million people. One-third of women and one-fourth of men will have experienced some sort of interpersonal violence, and for one-fourth of women and one-seventh of men, it's severe.  
          _ _What is talked less about, though serious, is emotional abuse that ranges from withholding to controlling, and includes manipulation and verbal abuse. The number of people affected is astronomical._

“Really makes you think. I mean, those numbers are so high and it's definitely a possibility for one or both of us to find ourselves in an abusive relationship. And what would you do if you found yourself in one? It says later that most victims endure seven attacks before leaving. If they ever leave.” Gwen stared through the window.  
          “Would you leave after the first sign? Would you stay? Would you even realise it's abuse or would you rationalise everything away?”  
          David took a few seconds to answer.  
          “At least we have each other.” An idea sprung into his mind and he got excited about the thought. The thoughtful expression vanished from his face in a second to make place for a beaming smile.

“Hey, let's propose a truce! If we notice anything about the relationship the other is in, we help them to get out of it!”  
          “That actually sounds like a pretty good idea.”  
          “I know! So what do you say?” David was completely oblivious to the fact that Gwen was genuinely surprised that his idea was good and stuck out his hand.  
          Gwen smiled and shook it.  
          “Well, knowing us, we would probably have said something irregardless if we had a truce or not but it feels good to have it spelled out.”

“How come you read that in the first place? Because of your psych degree?”, he asked.  
          “Yeah... I still need to write a paper to finish it.”  
          “You'll be fine. It's going to be great.” David handed Gwen back her phone and pointed to an ad. “Look at that.”  
          “The natural history museum? What's with it?”  
          “Maybe we could take the campers next summer to the museum! It would be so much fun. They have a constant dinosaur exhibition. And maybe if they have something interesting as a temporary exposition, we could actually get them to learn about history!”  
          Gwen let her head fall into her hands.

“David. Have you ever actually watched any campers we had? They are complete psychos! To go to a museum with ten plus preteens begs for a disaster. Just imagine what could go wrong.” She shuddered. “We would just lose another camper and have to suffer through the paperwork. Again. And the lawsuit would shut down the camp. I can't send out resumes again. I just... can't.”  
          “Gwen, look at me. It's going to be fine!” He laid a hand on her shoulder.  
          “Just promise me to run this through with me if you find an interesting exhibition. Don't plan it by yourself, just... tell me. No word to Campbell that we could be planning it. Not a word to the parents that it's a possibility. Or the campers.” She grabbed him by the collar and shook him.  
          “We can't have another incident, David!”  
          “Alright, alright. I promise.”

Gwen let go of his clothes and let her head fall on the table.  
          “How about we go there tomorrow to check it out?”  
          “No! You'll just get excited and start planning the trip and ultimately promise the parents to take the kids there when they sign them up.” She sighed. “Let's go there if we find a nice exhibition. Then we can check it out if there are any possibilities the kids could get hurt. Or we.”  
          David nodded enthusiastically.

* * *

At roughly the same time in the nearest city Daniel sat at his desk and went through some paperwork. He was late. Really late.  
          It was expected from him to plan out the summer activities for the youths as soon as possible and he still needed one last thing they could do. The children in the church community were schooled in the church intern school and during the summer break it was common for the parents to decide to leave them in the care of two or more church members, who would work as youth counsellors.

It was kind of like a summer camp, but most church members preferred them over a traditional camp because their kids wouldn't have to face people outside of their own religion.  
          Daniel yawned. He shouldn't have procrastinated to choose the activities. Maybe he could find a cheap way out and just say that that day would be a free day for the children to be creative and develop their own personalities by choosing their own activities or something like that.  
          He looked up and watched the snow fall. He hadn't slept much the last night. The snowfall was so heavy, he couldn't even see across the street.

“Wait a second...”, he mumbled and dug through a pile of flyers until he found the one he was looking for. Of course! Why didn't he think of that earlier? It was a nice opportunity.  
          He and his co-counsellor had already agreed to go camping with the kids for three weeks of the summer. During that time they would show them how to do the basic survival stuff like building a shelter and finding a source of water as well as teach them about the stars. For the rest of the four week break they chose to live in the kind of abandoned mansion on the church property which was often used as a hostel.

Because it was close to the city center, they chose to use that week to show the children s bit of culture and take them to the theater, a concert or an art exhibition.  
          Daniel looked down at the flyer of the natural history museum. It would be fitting. And they wouldn't have too many days on which nothing really was planned.

He wrote it down and leaned back. Everything done. Now he just had to show it to Jen, his co-worker and if she had nothing to add, they would show the plan to the head of church and hopefully get the approval immediately.  
          It would be nice. He stood up to get a cup of coffee or hot chocolate or something. He wasn't entirely sure about it. Maybe he should make tea and invite Jen over. She liked tea.

Hand on the phone, he stopped. Would it cause more rumours about their relationship? They never had talked about dating but he wasn't sure what would happen if one of them brought it up to the other. If she were to ask him out, he wasn't sure what he'd say. And he couldn't really estimate her reaction if he would ask her.  
          It was more convenient to not think about it until he had to. He shrugged and dialed her number.

“Hey, Jen. Want to come over? I'll make tea.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll update on fridays or tuesdays, depending on when I finish writing the chapters.  
> And it'll be a long fiction. According to my planning, around 20 chapters. But if it's one thing you can count on is: My planning is usually worth shit.
> 
> Also: I actually like the waitress. And Daniel. And everyone else. Even if it doesn't look like it xD
> 
> And the article from Psychology Today is a real one. "The Truth About Abusers, Abuse, and What to Do"  
> It's really interesting.


	2. First Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as the title implies, it's the first contact of our... happy couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was looking for beautiful butterflies. And somehow ended up reading about the reproduction and breeding of butterflies.  
> I have no idea how it came so far.

David was excited. He hadn't slept in two days but that didn't bother him.  
          Summer had already began to come around, replacing the warm spring with even hotter weather and drying out the small ponds around the camp. It would take another few weeks for the first campers to arrive, but David was already so enthusiastic that he wasn't able to sleep.  
          Gwen on the other hand didn't seem to be too happy about the prospect of several children fucking up the planned activities. She had the strong feeling of impeding doom coming over them. As if something would-

“Gwen, Gwen, Gwen!” David cut off her train of thought and was seemingly bouncing up and down with excitement. “Guess what I just found.”  
          “My will to live?”  
          “Don't be silly.” He slapped a flyer on the table.  
          Gwen groaned after a look on the paper. It was from the Natural History Museum, listing their next expositions. She had hoped that David already forgot his plan to take the campers to the museum, mostly because it would just beg for a catastrophe to happen.

“Okay, which one would you suggest? Mummies or butterflies?”  
          “Remember the one time last year we showed them this horror movie? How they would bother us for days because they were still scared? Maybe we shouldn't show them in detail how mummies were made.”  
          “Agreed.” Gwen shuddered. To have a bunch of frightened children around again was something she didn't want to have again. Especially not since she knew that Max was going to attend the camp again and would make fun of them and scare them even further. Like the year before. Sneaking off and hiding in the bushes only to wait for another kid (or David) to come by. Telling scary stories. Rustling through the night.

It was probably best to just go with it and look at the exhibition together. And then tell him what exactly could go wrong until David agreed to drop the plan.  
          “It starts in a few days und goes on until the end of summer. We can go and look at it this weekend and then plan when to take the campers!”  
          “Yeay.” Gwen couldn't sound less happy.

* * *

“It's beautiful.”  
          “You're right.”  
          Daniel and Jen stood in front of a glass showcase and inspected a species of butterflies.  
          “Papilio Ulysses, commonly known as the Blue Emporer”, Jen read from the small plate under it. The radiating blue stood in harsh contrast to the black on its wings. It was entrancing and they found it hard to look away.

“Don't they have a few species of poisonous butterflies here? I'm sure the children would find them interesting.”  
          “Ah, they are over there, I think.” Daniel pointed to the right with his head. “Let's check them out.”  
          They made their way over to the next room. Jen excused herself when she saw an old friend of hers and left Daniel alone to wander through the columns. It was nicely done. And he saw absolutely no way how the kids could find a way to turn a day in this exhibition into a catastrophe. The children were usually nice to be around and well-behaved, but they still liked to prepare for the worst case scenario.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the young man in front of some Euploea midamus, Spotted Blue Crows. He was quite handsome, tall and slender, almost lanky built. The bright green eyes surrounded by freckles, his hair red lazily styled up.

Daniel spent a few seconds just observing the red-head. He seemed to be there with a young woman but he couldn't see a sign of romantic intimacy between them. It was nice to watch the man. He seemed incredibly happy to be there, in this moment. As if there wasn't a place in the world he would rather be than in this museum.  
          The man gesticulated to another showcase, the woman replied with something and they split up. Daniel smirked. Maybe he found another interesting thing in this museum.

“Did you know that no butterfly is poisonous enough to kill larger animals? They included this 'Kaa or N'gwa moth because they wanted to show the difference, I think. The caterpillar is actually so toxic that it is used for poisonous arrows in Africa.” It was often the best to start a conversation with some random facts.  
          “Wow, Max would love to see those!” The red-head beamed at him.  
          “Max? Do you have children?” There was still the possibility he meant his brother. Or that he wasn't married. Even though a kid could probably complicate his plans for the night. Or the next few weeks.

“Oh no, but I'd love to have some of my own. I'm a camp counsellor at Cameron Campbell's Camp Campbell.”  
          “What a coincidence! I'm working as a youth counsellor in my church. This year we will actually go camping. I'm Daniel, by the way.”  
          “Are you pulling my leg? We work in the same field and our names are so similar. I'm David.”  
          “No leg pulling here. But I am keen on handshakes.” Daniel extended his hand.  
          “Well, who isn't?” Daniel shook it. “Pleasure to meet you, Daniel.”  
          “Oh, the pleasure's all mine.” He moved a little closer. David didn't seem to mind him standing closer than it would be usually acceptable for someone you just met a few seconds ago.

“So, what's a handsome guy like you doing here on such a nice day?”  
          “We are here to check out the exhibition. I'd like to take the campers here, but Gwen, she's my co-counsellor, thinks it could go wrong.”  
          So the girl he was with was his co-worker. Interesting.  
          “Same thing here. Jen and me wanted to look if there is any possibility for the youths to do mischief. I don't know how Gwen came to think there could be anything you can't handle. You seem like a guy who knows how to handle anything.” He could see David blushing a bit. It was cute. Daniel suddenly wanted to see more of it.  
          He opened the buttons on his sleeves and rolled them up.

“How about we exchange phone numbers and maybe go out sometime? We could grab a coffee later. My treat.”  
          “Sure! I'd love to.”  
          Daniel pulled a pen from his pocket and wrote his number on the back of David's hand.  
          “It was nice meeting you, David.” He extended his hand again and touched David's elbow when he shook it. He had found it fairly effective to pair this gesture with a certain smile to get his intention across to even the most thick headed people.

Redness crept over David's face as he flushed in a bright colour.  
          “You... uhm...”, he stuttered.  
          “He's flirting with you, David.” Gwen had realized how flustered David had become and had decided to step in to help him.  
          “Oh... I'm... I mean...”  
          “For Christ's Sake, just say it, David." When he did not respond, she directed her words directly at Daniel. "He's in a relationship. But he's fluttered and would probably love to hang out with you as friends. Right, David?”  
          The addressed nodded but looked at the ground.

Daniel laughed.  
          “Don't worry, I'd love to hang out with you. Just as friends.”  
          Of course this guy had to be in a relationship. Suddenly a strong feeling washed over him and his throat seemed to close up but he managed to keep up his friendly expression. Anger. Rage tinted his vision red. That man was bound to be his. How dare someone to keep him away?

“I'll await your message, David. The invitation to coffee is still open, even though the background changed.” Daniel excused himself and wandered away. His hands were shaking. There was no way he would let David stay together with someone else. They couldn't be as good for him as he would be!  
          He felt a vein pulsating on the side of his neck and took a deep breath. They were meant to be together and he would ensure that it would happen.

“Daniel, where have you been?” Jen laid a hand on his shoulder. He sat on a bench in the middle of a large hall, next to the skeleton of a T-Rex.  
          He smiled widely at her.  
          “I found my husband.”

* * *

“I don't like him.”  
          “You haven't even really talked to him.” David was occupied to safe the number on his hand into his phone.  
          “Still. He seemed... strange. Kinda on edge. Maybe you shouldn't be too friendly with him.” Gwen furrowed her brows in worry but David brushed it aside.  
          “What could go wrong? So what do you think about the exhibition? And did you know that the caterpillars of this moth are used to make poisoned arrows?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daniel actually uses things from a book I read about the Art of Seduction. It was really interesting to read.


	3. A Cup Of Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel and David grab a cup of coffee and talk a bit. And it becomes clear that Daniel is... quite into David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently learned that if you write a story set in the USA, you shouldn't write British English (and vice versa).  
> I'm German. I actually have no idea if I write british or american because I read and watch stuff from all over the world. I have no idea what stuck.  
> I hope that it doesn't bother you if I were to write too british for a story set in the US.

"Gwen?" David stood in the center of the room, a puzzled look on his face. In each hand he had one of his counsellor shirts and on his bed were a few pairs of jeans strewn around.  
          "Yeah?" She stuck her head out of the bathroom.  
          "Do you know where I keep my collared shirt? You know, the green plaid one I got from Amelia?"

"You only wear that when you want to look nice. Do you have a date? Does Amelia has to look out for competition?", Gwen mocked him.  
          "Very funny. Daniel, you know, the guy from the museum, asked me if I had time to meet. I just have no time to change before lunch with Amy."  
          "Wait, you meet with a guy who's obviously into you right before a date with your girlfriend? Will you meet him in 'The Only Bar'? Is she working today? That sounds just as the last episode of-"  
          "My life is not a reality TV show, Gwen." David rolled his eyes. "So, do you know where my shirt is?" 

* * *

"You look nice."  
          "Thanks, my girlfriend thought I could use a nice shirt. She was right."  
          Daniel's smile slipped for a second, but David didn't seem to notice.  
          “It certainly suits you well. She has a good taste.”  
          “I know.” David smiled happily. Up until now, it was a terrific day. Warm, with a bit of a breeze. They sat outside of the small cafe, each with a cup of coffee in front of them, enjoyed the sun and their company. And no sign of Gwen's foreshadowed catastrophe.

“How's it going with the camp? Did the children already arrive?” Daniel stirred in some sugar into his coffee.  
          “It's fine. We got a few more applications, so we'll probably have to deal with 12 children.”  
          “Isn't 12 a bit too much for just two counsellors?”  
          “Usually yes, but we've had worse.” David sipped on his coffee.  
          “You have to be really skilled.” It wasn't a question and David blushed a little upon hearing the compliment. Daniel smiled softly. David was incredibly cute when he was flustered and he swore he would make him blush more.

Another thought came to his mind. David had a girlfriend. She probably had seen this, too. She would proceed to make him blush. She had seen so many more expressions. Heard his voice more often. Probably heard every kind of sound he could produce. Had seen him angry, sad, happy, bored.  
          She had no right to. David belonged to him and not some random slut. She would just break his heart. He knew it. There was no other way.  
          He let go of his cup. His hands started to shake and the cup had rattled on its saucer.

“Daniel? Everything alright?”  
          “Oh, yeah, don't worry. I just spaced out.” His laugh sounded kind of forced, but normal enough that David wasn't suspecting anything. They just weren't close enough. For now.  
          “So, you mentioned that you are working with the children in your church?”  
          “Yes. Some of the members are more comfortable with knowing that we are in the same community and have the same beliefs than just dropping their kids off at a traditional summer camp.”  
          “Sounds nice. What have you planned for them?”

“We wanted to take them camping for three weeks. You know, teaching them a few basic survival skills. Starting a fire, setting up a tent, finding a water source, knowing your position based on the stars.”  
          “That sounds wonderful! Hey, maybe we could merge our activities and do something together. I think, the campers would love to hear something about astronomy. And maybe we could teach your group about the wildlife. Gwen, you already saw her at the museum, and I basically live in the woods year round to look after the camp.”  
          Daniel's face lit up.  
          “I'd like that. I'd like that a lot.”

* * *

They spend the next hour chatting about everything from their favorite music genre (they both agreed that they didn't have a set style and just listened to whatever sounded nice to them), if they liked cats or dogs (David was more of a dog-person, while Daniel loved cats) and what their worst date ever was (Daniel told the story of how he slept with his date, she started to cry and telling him how much in love she was and that they were perfect together 'even in heaven'; David's experience having dinner with a 23-year old guy who brought his parents along and whose mother even cut his food for him).

“Wow, I think, you won. What did his father do?”  
          “He just sat there with a look that screamed 'Where did I go wrong?' They were nice people, though.”  
          “Holy. Some people.”  
          “Yeah. But yours isn't bad either. She really started crying?” David swallowed a laugh.

“She was bawling her eyes out. She was on top and I first thought that she was sweating a little. Then she started sobbing.”  
          “Not the most sexy thing to do.”  
          “Definitely not. But the biggest red flag came shortly after. She told me that she already had her wedding dress. She was just waiting for me and that she was so happy we would always be together. Even in heaven. It was our first date, I had no intention on seeing her again to be honest and was just having sex with her because she seemed up to it.” Daniel sighed. “I feel bad about it. But it was highschool and I had bad judgment.”

“Everyone does stuff they are not proud of. It happens. And that you feel bad about it... just tells me that you are a good person.”  
          “Thank you, David. It means a lot, coming from you.”  
          They just smiled at each other for a moment until David noticed the clock inside of the cafe and sprung up.

“Oh fudge cookies! I have to go, I'm sorry, I nearly forgot I have a date with my girlfriend!”  
          “Don't worry about the pay, I'll cover it.” Daniel offered when David dug through his bag.  
          “Thanks, next time is my treat!” David hugged Daniel and ran off.  
          It had been surprising to Daniel that David had hugged him. It had only been a second but he could still smell David's pleasant and feel his warmth. He turned to look after David jog away.

* * *

What would he even see in her? She was less than average! Red hair, freckles, green eyes, slender. Daniel knew her as the waitress in 'The Only Bar'. Apparently her name was Amelia, or 'Amy', how David called her. She was nothing special. What could David possibly see in her? It made no sense!

He watched him closely. David laughed about something she said. Obviously it was true that you get blind when you are... in love. There was no way she had said something even remotely funny. But David couldn't be in love. It wasn't possible for him to really love someone beside him. He was just misguided. And he, Daniel, had to open his eyes. It was his destiny, his fate, to be with David.  
          Daniel turned away from the window and wandered down the street to his car. He couldn't just go up to them and tell David. They just had their first date, even if David wouldn't see it as that.

He had to be patient. And do whatever he could to make sure he saw how bad she was for him. Maybe he would have to give them a little push.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Amelia is the Cute Waitress. I think Amy is a fitting nickname. I was thinking about 'Katie' instead of Amelia, but I like Amelia.  
> Daniel gets fairly obsessed with David. But it's still okay I'd say. And David has the truce with Gwen to protect him. Everything's going to be good, right? Right? Wrong. (I have such an earworm from 'It's Hard To Be The Bard', I want to die).
> 
> And now I'll go ant watch the next episode.


	4. Just Be Charming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel meets David's girlfriend, the cute waitress Amy, for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I am as charming as a dead fish. So I read a lot about how to come across as likable.  
> The book I last read on it was actually called "Just Be Charming" and it's kinda fitting for the chapter. Also I just noticed that some parts read like a description of 'How to be a manipulative jerk without anyone noticing' xD

"David, how unexpected. It's nice to see you! And I think you have to be Amelia, I've heard so much about you." Daniel offered her his hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it lightly. A little too old-fashioned for his own taste, but women seemed to like it.  
          "Daniel, right? Please, call me Amy. David told me a little about you."

"Oh, since there's not much to know about me, that's probably like he told you everything, Amy", Daniel laughed. "I don't want to interrupt your date any further, I just saw you and wanted to say hi."  
          "We were just having lunch. Why don't you sit down a little and eat with us?" She looked at David. "You don't have anything against it, do you?"  
          "No, not at all!"  
          Daniel rubbed the back of his head.  
          "Is that really alright? I don't want to impose on you."  
          "Of course, now come on. Sit down with us. We haven't even ordered yet."

Naturally, it hadn't been unexpected to run into David and his girlfriend. He had observed them for the last week, following David around just far enough to not be spotted but close enough to approach so fast that he could listen if he would talk to anyone.

He had listened to countless small conversations about camping. David's face lit up every time he talked about it and it was the cutest thing Daniel could imagine. To see his big green eyes sparkle even more, to see his gestures get even wider and faster. More excited.

David and Amelia met for lunch fairly often, two or three times a week, according to David's calender he had 'misplaced' for a few hours. Then he couldn't do more but stand outside where no one would see him and look through the window to watch them. It would be too obvious to go with them inside. But today he couldn't take it anymore. He had watched them meet time and time again and was never able to hear David talk. Laugh. Tell jokes. Whereas she was sitting there, across him, listening to him, seeing him up close. Being able to touch him.  
          And he wasn't even able to hear him.

“So, how did you two meet?” Always a nice conversation starter. And people absolutely love to talk about themselves. It was nearly paradox that if you wanted to seem charming and likable, you shouldn't really talk about yourself. Just keep eye contact, smile, listen and repeat what they say. Occasionally throw in a follow-up question and they will eat out of your palm in no time. The hardest thing was to listen. To truly listen. You couldn't just fake it.  
          Wait for three to five seconds after someone says something before you react. That ensures that the other is not just taking a small break. Plus you have time to think about your sentence. And people like to think that what they just said was important for you so you take your time and really think about what they just said.

People were boring. Predictable. But David was different. He was so... exciting. It sounded strange but there was no better word for it than 'fresh'.

“An 'incident' with the new boyfriend of his ex, you say? You don't want to tell me what it was, do you?” Daniel smiled and raised an eyebrow.  
          Amelia looked at David who got bright red.  
          “I don't think so.”  
          “Ah, that's a shame. But it seems like you were fated to meet.” Couples really dig the whole 'destiny' thing. And people adore chances. The more seemingly less likely it was something happened that did happen, the more people would fawn over it. 'Oh, you were together in the same elementary school class and then you moved away. But then you found each other because your kids are going in the same elementary school class? What are the odds?'

“I mean, you work here for so long. And then his campers try to stage a drama to get David and his ex back together exactly here. Someone could make a movie out of that, it's so cute.”  
          “In a way, Max and the others did get me over the break up. I couldn't be happier.” David smiled at Amelia and reached over to take her hand into his. Daniel's neck cracked audibly. He took a deep breath. If he wanted to keep being friends and have access to both of them, he needed to be more careful.  
          David excused himself and went down the hall to the bathroom.

“Amy? Do you really don't mind that I sit here with you two?” He furrowed his brows in worry.  
          “Of course not. I wanted to meet you since Davey told me that he met you.”  
          “I wanted to meet you too. David talks about you so often, I just couldn't miss out to know such a wonderful person. And you don't think that he is okay with me interrupting your date?”  
          “I have to admit, when he told me that you hit on him, I was worried about your intentions to be friends with him, but now that I know you... All gone. He's a lucky guy to have us watching over him.”  
          “Yes, he is.”

“And don't worry, David likes you. He couldn't be happier to sit with both of us.”  
          Daniel smiled, looked into his cup and turned it into his hands before looking back up at Amelia.  
          “Thank you, Amy.” Names create familiarity. You repeat them and the person likes you better. Just because you used their name.  
          He reached over, laid a hand on top of hers and squeezed lightly. Body contact. Very effective to judge if someone is just faking to be friendly with you or not. Also physical intimacy, even if it was just a handshake, was the gateway to emotional intimacy. And to be emotionally close to a person opens them up to believe whatever you say. To do what you want.

“I know, it sounds maybe a little strange, but I think you are a wonderful person. Maybe we could do this more often. The three of us, David, you and me, sitting down to talk a little. Or we could go on a double date. Can you imagine us doing that?”

Words like 'know' or 'imagine' sometimes could make people more open to suggestions. It actually was a technique Daniel had read about in a book about hypnosis but so far it always seemed to help. It was like breaking the action. For example, a handshake was a complex action. You reach out, the other does it too, you close your hand around theirs and shake their hand. Even if it doesn't sound complex, it is. But you have done it so often that it's now just one action for your brain.  
          If you interrupt that, the brain is irritated and has to decide what to do next. And that's the second in which the person is more acceptable for suggestion or hypnosis.

Of course, some were more open for suggestion than others but he wasn't looking to make someone forget the word 'no' or make him skip a number while counting his fingers. He was just making sure others would give him what he wanted. And that was now a way to spend time with both David and Amelia. And better yet, time with them separately.  
          “Of course, I'd love to!”  
          “I'm so glad to hear that. I thought you could be weirded out.” Keep showing concern about them and their opinions and they'll think you value and respect them.

But the key to everything was to play the role of the selfless cavalier perfectly. Your gesture, tone, speaking speed and rhythm, mimic, every little thing had to be perfect. And you had to seem interested. Always. Every word they said had to be the center of your universe.

“What do you think of Daniel? Do you like him?” David and Amy strolled down the street, hand in hand. Daniel had offered to drive them home but it wasn't far, so they declined.  
          “He's wonderful! I think it's nice that you have a friend like him.” She paused. “Oh, before I forget it: He asked if we would want to meet up and maybe go on a double date from time to time. Or just the three of us. Sounds great, right?”  
          “I'm so glad that you like him. And yes, it's a great idea.”  
          “When you talk to him... it's like everything vanishes. There's just you and him. And nothing else. As if you were in a cocoon.”  
          “Exactly!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed while reading it again: I actually write a lot more from Daniel's point of view. You can tell because then the narration gets 'anti-human' and I call her 'Amelia' instead of 'Amy'. I didn't even notice. Is that weird?
> 
> And did you watch the episode with Campbell posing as a camper? It was fantastic. Like holy fucking damn, Max cares so much about Davey. And David is so cute. Also I love Erid's parents.  
> 'Wanna see how fast we can assamble our guns again?'  
> 'This is why I married you.'  
> And I'm sitting there, squealing like an idiotic seal.


	5. Another Ordinary Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel has spent the last few weeks getting close to Amy and David and studied their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so fucking warm. I want to die. I'm having trouble writing, I'm sorry.
> 
> And I wanted to change the paragraph... stuff. But it looks so strange while writing. I have no idea where to put the breaks and it's hard to decide. I think I'll keep using my weird novel-like stuff.

„Amy, please.“ David looked at her pleadingly and tried to take her hand into his.  
          „No!” She yanked her arm out of his reach.  
          “Please, calm down. Everyone's looking.” He was obviously uncomfortable, now having both his hands up in a defensive manner, speaking more quiet than usual.  
          “Than let them look!”, she screamed.

David's eyes darted around to check if anyone even cared about their fight. In fact, the whole food court had their eyes on them, some clearly not interested in their meals anymore, observing them.  
          “Why do you have to be so childish?” He immediately bit his tongue but it was too late.  
          “Oh, I am childish? I am childish?! You are the one who still wears a vest and shirt from his fucking childhood! You are the one who's always broke because he refuses to have a normal job, because he enjoys to live in the fucking wilderness with a bunch of children instead of working with people his age!”

“Amy...” He could feel how he got more and more irritated, his voice dropping slightly, indicating a warning. He knew what people said.  
          “Don't you 'Amy' me.” She turned around, her hair bouncing up and down when she stormed off. David groaned and slumped down on the nearest bench, his elbows resting on his knees, face buried in his hands.

He felt the eyes of the near people like burning irons, poking in his skin, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He lifted his head a little to turn and look at the person that had just plopped down beside him, and was greeted by a sympathetic smile and the contrast of incredible warmth in icy blue eyes.  
          “Daniel, I think I effed up.” David wrapped his arms around him and hid his face into Daniel's shoulder.

“I just came through, are you okay? What happened?” Daniel began to gently rub his back in small circles.  
          “You know how Amy is.” His voice was muffled but Daniel still had no issues to make out the words. He let his head fall against David's regardless as if he couldn't understand him. “She can and will make a joke from every situation. And normally, I love that. But we were fighting over how much she spends on clothes this morning. Then she accused me of cheating on her with Gwen because of how much time we spent together.  
          And tomorrow Camp will start. I won't see her as often for the whole summer and I didn't want to go with us fighting, and I didn't know what to do. So I took her here and offered to buy us something to eat and we could buy something good to maybe go out to this nice Greek restaurant out of town.”

“That sounds really nice. What happened after?”, Daniel asked when David paused.  
          “I noticed that I have lost my ID somewhere and... it's important to have your ID! I was freaking out a little and she made a joke. And of course we start fighting again.”  
          “And that's when she told you how it's weird that you spent more time with children and not people your age.”  
          David grabbed the fabric of Daniel's shirt tighter and nodded. Daniel stroked David's hair.

“You can make it work out. Don't worry. I mean, we now know each other for... around a month and you two always make it work. I'm sure.”  
          “Danny, you know how she is. She won't listen or talk to me and I'll be out of town for the next four weeks.” David raised his head and looked at him with his big, wet eyes, indicating that he actually had cried silently. Daniel felt his throat getting tighter. How could anyone make his David cry? And how could he still want to stay together with said person?  
          At least they wouldn't stay together for much longer. The last weeks had been hard, but he had managed to win Amelia and David as close friends. They would often go out together or separately. And of course, there were issues like in every relationship.

She would spent a lot of money, he too much time with his friends or at the camp. Of course he heard the rumours going on about both of them. It was a small town, everyone knew each other.  
          “Well, I could try and talk to her.”  
          David thought about the offer for a second.  
          “You'd do that?”  
          “For you? Of course. You can always count on me.”  
          David smiled and let his head fall against Daniel's shoulder again.  
          “Thank you.”

* * *

“Hey, Amy.” Daniel slid onto the bar stool next to her. It had taken him a good hour to find her.  
          “I tried to call you.”  
          She knocked down her drink. “Had my phone off.”  
          He sighed happily and signed for the bartender to get them two drinks. It would have been so much harder if she wouldn't talk to him.

“I never thought you'd drink here.”  
          “And where exactly should I go if not here? It's the only damn bar in town.” She ruffled through her hair. “Sorry. Today was a little rough.”  
          “It's all good. You want to talk about it?”  
          “I fought with David.”

He sipped on his drink and suppressed a cough. Amelia either liked to drink cleaning supplies or she enjoyed straight whisky.  
          “So bad?”  
          “Jup.” She downed her glass in astonishing speed.  
          He stayed silent. Most of the time, people would talk when they were ready and it was better not to pressure them. She proved him right a few seconds after.

“My parents never really cared about me. I basically lived alone from the minute on they thought I could live on my own. That's why I started to spent a lot of money on clothing, shoes, makeup and so on. I wanted them to notice me. And if not they, than someone else. When they wouldn't look at me, no matter how I dressed, I started to tell inappropriate jokes. I wanted to get in trouble. It was the only form of attention they would give me.”  
          He signed for the barkeeper to pour her another drink.

“And, you probably remember, David and I sometimes fight about different stuff. He doesn't know that about my parents. I know he wants me to feel good and would help me, but... I have a problem. I know that. But I don't want him to know. And when he asked me this morning if my top was new I snapped at him.”  
          She rubbed her hands. Her face was red from the alcohol.  
          “I know he'd never cheat. But I accused him anyway. You know, my last relationship-” she bit her lip “- ended. Because I made a mistake. He was just a stranger. It makes me feel so guilty. I was drunk, he gave me a lot of attention and it just... happened.”

He saw tears form in the corners of her eyes and laid a hand on top of hers. She was trembling.  
          “And then he was so sweet to me. And I had to fuck it up by telling a joke. And we both said some ugly things. From my side a few very ugly things. I took it too far.”  
          He put his arm around her shoulders.

“It's going to be okay. Everything will be fine. How about I take you home, we will call David and you two talk. Then tomorrow he starts camp and you two have enough time to think and realise how good you are for each other, what you want and what you need. An then you can meet up and be sure about your relationship. Maybe you'll even manage to tell him about your parents so he can understand why you do what you do.”

She sniffled, nodded and finished her glass before reaching for her wallet. He stopped her.  
          “Don't worry about it, I'll pay.”  
          “Thanks.” She stood up and stumbled a little before grabbing his arm. “Whew.”  
          Daniel threw a few bills on the counter before wrapping his arm around her waist to help her keep upright.  
          “Anyway, what was the joke you told David?” They had just stumbled around a corner and Amelia giggled.  
          “He lost his ID and I asked him if I should call him 'Dav' now.”

* * *

“Thanks for bringing me home. You are such a good guy.”  
“No problem, should I come in with you?” They were outside of her house. Or better: outside of the house in which her apartment was. It was a small building, red bricks, green windows.  
          “Maybe you could help me with the keys.” She had given up on trying to hit the keyhole and handed him the keys. 

“And... done.” He pushed open the apartment door and flicked on the light before letting the keys fall into a small bowl before stepping out of the way, but still standing so close that she could feel the warmth of his body.  
          “Thank you, Daniel.” She smiled at him and made no moves to go in.  
          “Do you need help with anything else? Maybe I could call David.”  
          “I don't want him to see me like this.”  
          “Okay then. See you soon.” He let his hand brush against her elbow.

When she took a step she tripped and he quickly gripped her by the shoulders to catch her. It was an obvious fake tripping. So obvious it was almost painful for him to watch. But he caught her anyway. And did not let go. He stayed for a few seconds, just looking her in the eyes. If everything went according to his plan she would...  
          Her eyes darted down to his lips and back up to his eyes. She gripped his collar and pulled on it.  
          He wouldn't move.  
          “We shouldn't. You are in a relationship.” He let go of her shoulders and pulled away.  
          “Go to bed. And call David tomorrow.”

He stood outside and looked up at the stars. It had gone even better than he had imagined. Patience was all you needed to achieve anything. Over the course of the last weeks he had been talking a lot with David, Amelia or both. And both had talked about their oh so perfect relationship until he had managed to slowly make them both see the little things.

No relationship was perfect. He just needed some words to make them see their issues. And today a little... push in the right direction. He patted his pocket. He'd need to give David back his ID eventually. Not personally of course. Maybe he should drop it somewhere around the counter of a shop where David liked to do his shopping.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. A few weeks have passed and Daniel has spent the time with Amy and/or David. He saw the issues they both didn't want to see and played into it. And then he's like such a good guy and helps Amy when she's drunk after she tells him that she's really insecure and craves attention. And even cofessed of having cheat on her ex when she was drunk and someone gave her attention.  
> He is such a good person. Helping David and Amy through a rough patch. The perfect friend.
> 
> And yes, I actually found the joke about David losing his ID funny.


	6. Excitement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first day of camp.  
> And it looks like David and Amy wil break up soon.

"Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen!"  
          She let her head fall back at the wall. Of course David was running around like a hamster you fed only with cocaine and coffee for weeks. Gwen watched him trip over a ball, stumble and nearly fall before he managed to catch himself and, slightly slower, came over.  
          "Yes, David, I'm excited too. No, I couldn't sleep either."

For Gwen it was more David that had kept her up by constantly talking and moving around than the excitement to have a pack of little psychopaths in their care. And the nausea of her stomach cramping up with anxiety didn't help either.  
          “Oh, it's going to be so wonderful! We will have so much fun. And for the third week, we will spend it entirely with Daniel, Jen and the children of their church! We can teach them so much and what we can learn! And the kids can-”

“Wait, wait, wait. Hold up”, Gwen interrupted. “Did you just say that we will spend the third week with that weirdo? And you didn't think of asking me first?”  
          “Come on, Gwen, it's going to be so much fun! And it's not very nice of you to call Daniel that.”  
          “David. It's going to be a disaster.” She could feel her stomach cramp. There it was again. The crippling doubt about all her life choices that lead her to spent her summer with a bunch of pre-teenagers. And now a whole week with two more people she knew dick about, of one she was pretty sure was a serial killer at worst and a creepy stalker at best. And they would have a bunch of children with them. They were all going to die.

“What's the worst that could happen?”  
          “I think I'm going to be sick.” She slid down on the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees.  
          “Everything will be fine. Come on, let's welcome the first campers.”  
          She sighed and took his hand to let him pull her back on her feet.  
          “David, please ask me the next time you agree on something that will have affect on both of us.”  
          “I'm sorry, Gwen.”

“Look at them, they are so cute.” David and Gwen stood a few metres away and watched the three 'troublemakers' how Gwen called them. Max, Neil and Nikki. They were both a bit surprised on how so many of the children had come back after the whole thing with Cameron Campbell.  
          “They are probably already planning on how to fuck shit up. Look at them, look at Max's smug smile. They are planning something.”  
          “They are not planning anything. They are just saying hello.”  
          “By shoving firecrackers into Dolph's backpack?” She stormed over with a spray bottle of water to extinguish the lit ends while simultaneously scolding the three.  
          David watched for a few seconds before deciding that she had everything under control and he should help the children to set up their tents.

“I think. We are done.”  
“Jup.”  
          They lay in their cabin, staring at the ceiling, both exhausted from the day.  
          “I think I'll never forget how Pikeman came over to 'check on us'. Sometimes, we can be glad that we have Max being sort of on our side.”  
          “It was amazing. I never thought-” A yawn interrupted David, “-that he could improvise a taser to shoot him if he moved too close to you.”  
          “I kinda think that it was Neil who built it. But it was very nice of him to shoot Pikeman for me. What a creep.” She shivered.

“Oh, I forgot to ask: How did the fight with Amy turn out?”  
          “It was fine.” David shrugged. “Daniel was there and talked to her. I think he brought her home, too. And this morning she called and apologized.”  
          “Daniel was there, huh? How... convenient.”  
          “Yeah, it's so nice that he and Amy are friends.”  
          “That's not what I meant.” She yawned. “Don't you think it's weird how you always seem to run into him on accident?”  
          “It's just a coincidence. Nothing more. It's a small town.”  
          “In which he doesn't even live.”  
          “Gwen...”  
          “I'm just saying it's weird that he's always near you. And then you and your girlfriend have a fight and he's there to help.”  
          “He's just a nice person.”

* * *

“I hope you don't have anything against it that I brought him along.” Daniel slightly leaned across the table, worry in his eyes.  
          “No, no. Don't worry, it's fine”, Amy reassured him quickly and he leaned back with a relieved smile.  
          “That's good. You know, I had plans with him and completely forgot.” He laughed and signed for another round of drinks just when his friend came back from the toilet.  
          “Maybe I should... cut loose a little.”

Daniel saw her look up and down his 'friend'. He actually didn't know the guy good. But he was really handsome and was known to fuck girls left and right. And he just had to tell him a little about her, show him a picture and he was all about his idea.  
          “Ah, but I already ordered it and...”  
          “Alright, alright.”  
          Amelia was always so quick to agree to drink. And so eager for attention.

Daniel excused himself sometime after. He had to work the next day. Jen and the children needed him there.  
          He waited around the corner and watched the two people stumble out after another hour. They had the arms around each other. A smile spread on his face.  
          A bit of alcohol and attention. And she would be all over them. What wonders issues with parents could work when you played into them.  
          And all for the small price of around 50 dollar.

They walked down the street, their hands wandering. Daniel watched how he guided her to a wall. Their lips explored each other.  
          He felt like a voyeur when he pulled out his phone to take a few pictures. Even though he was certain that Amelia would tell him, and, after he advised her to, David. Who would be devastated and probably turn to him. But it was better to have proof.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I'm recently struggeling a lot mentally. But then I come here. And there are people that like what I do. That's so amazing. I mean, I often can't see a single positive thing about me, I feel like I'm choking, I can't breathe and I can't find the motivation to move.  
> And then from time to time my phone buzzes. I have a new mail. Someone has left kudos or a comment. And I look at that and suddenly, I can breathe just a bit easier. The voice in my head, my own voice, gets more quiet for a bit.  
> Just because there is the thought 'I may not like what I do or who I am. But someone out there does.'  
> And that's so amazing.
> 
> Please, never stop being the kind and wonderful persons you are. And even when you think that what you do has no meaning, keep doing it. No matter how small it is. You can't imagine what it could mean to someone. Even if it is something like nodding your head when you listen to music in public. It's awkward when you notice someone looking at you. But maybe it's just them, seeing that you can find joy in the little things. And sometimes, you need to be reminded that you can enjoy those small things.
> 
> Sorry. I kinda rambled and probably annoyed you.  
> You are awesome. Keep being you. Keep being awesome.


	7. Break Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David and Amy broke up. And Daniel is such a good and honest friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I can't write emotional characters. Probably because I'm not an emotional person. But here I am, writing fanfiction about the most emotional character I've ever seen: David.
> 
> Which takes me to it: Maybe you could go and read my newest fiction: "Amico Nostro" (It means something like 'A friend of us' and is often used to describe someone who is a member of the mafia). Generally it's this romantic comedy kind of thing, Daniel is a detective of the local police department and David is a member of the mafia. They meet, start to date and somehow make it work.  
> Of course, there are some hardships and everything, like the mob boss trying to kill Daniel for well, doing his job and trying to catch members of the mafia. Or David accidentally getting shot in a faked shoot-out by Daniel.  
> It's actually a nice and goofy fiction for a change. With a healthy relationship. But I warn you: There will be a lot of puns. And dad jokes.

"Daniel."  
          He smiled at his phone. It was obvious that Amelia was crying. Served her right for being a hindrance. He dropped his smile.  
          "Amy? What happened? Are you okay?" Worry dripped from his voice.  
          "It-" A hiccup interrupted her. "It happened again."  
          "Amy? What do you mean?" He let some confusion shine through.  
          "I was drunk and your friend was so nice and gave me so much attention and it... it just happened."

He grinned widely. It was harder than he expected to not let her know but he was certain to manage it.  
          "Amy, where are you?"  
          "At home."  
          "Stay there, I'm coming over."  
          He hang up before she could reply and laughed. It was beautiful, excellent, perfect! David would be devastated and he would be there for him. And David would see that they were meant for each other, David would be his perfect husband once he married him. But first they would be together, move in a shared home and live together.  
          He could provide for both of them.

"Amy? Amy, I'm coming in." Amelia hadn't reacted to him ringing the bell so he asked a neighbour if he could open the front door. It was always amazing how many people were helpful after you told them that your friend hasn't opened and you are worried because they 'said something about hurting themselves'.  
          Nobody even asked how he intended to open the apartment door.  
          After that all he had to do was to used the spare key that was tucked away under a loose floorboard and he was in the apartment.

"Amy, where are you?" He scanned the room. It was messy, almost dirty. Fitting for such a rotten and disgusting person.  
          A small couch stood alongside an even smaller bed, a few potted plants at the window, the kitchen wasn't much more than a stove and a sink.  
          A bundle of blankets on the couch moved. He smiled softly and sat down beside her.  
          "Hey, Amy." He spoke softly while he put a hand on the bundle.  
          The bundle shook and he heard some crying. Pathetic.  
          "It's all good, Amy. I'm here for you."  
          "I'm horrible."  
           _Yes, you are._  
          "No, of course not. Come on, I'll make you some tea, we'll talk and you'll see that it's not as bad as you think it is."

He stood up and went through a few drawers until he found everything he needed. He heated some water and went back to the couch. Amelia had sat up, the blanket now on top of her lap. Her hair was messy, her eyes puffy and red from crying.  
          "Here you go." He shoved a cup into her hands, took the blanket from her lap and wrapped it around her shoulders before lying an arm around her, rubbing her back. With the other he pulled out some tissues and patted her cheeks dry.  
          "So, all fixed up", he said after rubbing the messed up mascara away. "And now, smile and tell me what happened. It's going to be fine." He smiled reassuringly at her while she leaned on his shoulder.

"You know that you have to tell David, right? He has a right to know."  
          "I know. But... how comes that I have to screw up every good relationship I have? What's wrong with me?"  
          "There is nothing wrong with you, Amy. Maybe it... wasn't your fate. God knows what he's doing and he has a plan for you."  
          "Then why does he make me go through all this? Does he hate me?"  
          "God doesn't hate anyone. All what you have to endure only made you stronger. And you are so much stronger than you think you are. You are so much better than you believe. And some day, you'll find yourself looking at your life and see that everything is how it's supposed to be. You'll look at your husband, who's greeting your children after work. Your dog will run up to him as well to say hello and you'll stand there and there won't be anything else but love and happiness."  
          "You think so?"  
          "I know it."  
          "You are such a good friend. How did I deserve to have you in my life?" She sighed and let her head fall on his shoulder again.

* * *

“Hi, Daniel.” David seemed so much different than usual. His posture was slouched, he held his elbow with his hand and looked at the ground, no sign of his usual smile on his face.  
          “David! Come in, please.” He moved aside to let him in.  
          “Sit down, sit down. So, how can I help you?”  
          “Amy and I... we broke up.”  
          “I'm so sorry.” He pulled David into his arms and hugged him tightly. “What happened? You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to.”

“She called me crying and said that she made a mistake. I thought she... I don't know, offended an important customer and poured coffee over him or something.”  
          “And she didn't.” It wasn't a question but David answered regardless.  
          “No. She cheated on me.”  
          “I'm so sorry, David.”  
          “She knew that that is the one thing I could never look over. I mean, three of my my last four relationships ended that way and now her and... she knew it.”  
          Daniel hugged him tighter. He already knew about how David's last relationships ended but listened to him go on about it for a few minutes.

He stood up and set down a glass in front of David and poured in some booze.  
          “I know you usually don't drink, but here. It'll make you feel better. And...” He stood up, went to the kitchen and came back with a tub of ice cream and a spoon.  
          “All for you, buddy.”  
          “Thank you.” David wiped away some tears and smiled.

“You are such a good friend, Daniel.” David's slur was obvious. He didn't drink often and the alcohol had made him dizzy fast.  
          “I told you, call me 'Danny'”, he reminded him.  
          “Sorry, Danny. What did I do to deserve someone like you in my life?”

Daniel just smiled at him and leaned back. David snuggled up to him. He didn't drink often but when he did, everyone noticed how much he craved physical interaction. He basically became a big, goofy teddy bear.  
          Daniel stroked his hair and David leaned into the touch. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Daniel sighed and made attempts to get up.  
          “It's getting late.” He got a blanket and leaned over David to tuck him in.

Suddenly, David's hands shot up with a surprising accuracy, grabbed his collar and pulled him down into a kiss. Daniel's eyes widened in surprise when felt David's arms wrap around his neck and let himself get pulled even closer.  
          That was why people were still fun, even if you could think about a thousand different reactions, you'd never think about every outcome. Unforeseeable reactions. He closed his eyes and licked over David's bottom lip, asking for entrance which was promptly granted.

He abruptly stood up when he felt David's hands sliding to the front of his shirt, fumbling with the buttons. He caught his hands and held them between his.  
          “It wouldn't be right. You should get some sleep, David.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you say something: David didn't go to Gwen because he had something to do in 'the big city' and well, when you are in the same city a close friend lives in, you go to that friend if you trust them enough instead of driving several hours back to your best friend.


	8. Camp Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David wakes up hungover.  
> Daniel is such a nice guy and even generous enough to call the camp and tell Gwen that David will take the day off.  
> And Max, Neil and Nikki are being... well... themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this chapter is not like the others. But I stayed up way too long, got drunk and am currently hungover as fuck, hating my life and questioning recent life choices.  
> On the bright side, I'm actually feeling pretty good today compared to the last weeks.
> 
> And it's so nice to be write Max (aka be able to swear openly).

David groaned. His head felt as if someone had filled it with nails, razor blades and glass shards and gave it a good, long shake. He laid his hand over his eyes and stayed still for a few minutes before a thought interrupted his misery.  
_Camp.  
          _ He shot up and a thick, heavy blanket fell from his shoulders. He groaned again. Everything was spinning and his stomach ached.

"Never again."  
He froze, opened his eyes and looked around. This wasn't the shack. He lay on a creme coloured couch in a rather large living room. It seemed modern, a lot of free space and pale colours with big windows. Some paintings decorated the walls. Most were black and white, but some dipped in some colours into the room.  
It was quite beautiful and nicely put together but also... impersonal and cold.

"Davey, you're up already?" His head shot around and immediately regret doing it as another wave of pain washed over him.  
“Ugh, my head.”  
A glass of water and some pills were shoved into his hands.  
“Here, take these.”  
“Thank you, Daniel.”  
“Danny.” Daniel reminded him with a small smile as he grabbed David's wrist, stopping him from taking the pain killers.  
“Danny.”  
Daniel let go of his wrist and let David take the pills.

“What time is it? I have to go to camp!”  
“Don't worry about it, I called and told Gwen that you wouldn't be able to make it today.”  
“You didn't have to.”  
“Oh, it's nothing. You had pretty much to drink and I thought you could need a day off. You know, just you and me, hanging out here.”  
“That's really nice, but I probably should go to camp.”  
Daniel frowned for a second before a smile replaced it again.  
“Let me at least make you some breakfast.” He stood up and made his way into the kitchen. “What would you like to eat?”, he asked from the other room.  
“I'll talk to you later, thanks for everything!”

The door clicked shut. Daniel cracked his neck and took a deep breath. He would need to do something about that 'Job' David seemed to be obsessed with. He had been generous enough to call in for David and how did he thank him? By leaving! How could he?

He closed his eyes and let himself fall on the sofa. Amelia was gone. And still, David wouldn't see how much they belonged with each other! David kissed him. He even tried to get him out of his clothes. Maybe he should have slept with him but after the amount of alcohol he made sure David drank, he wasn't sure he would have even remembered. And this morning kind of proved him right. David didn't seem to remember the last night.  
And their first time together should be something they both remembered.

He opened his eyes again and smiled. They would have two whole weeks together soon enough. Until then, he just had to make sure to keep in touch.  
The thought of not seeing his love for even a day... or not being able to hear his voice... it was terrible!

* * *

“Daniel, I know that you are newly in love and that you want to be around your boyfriend 24/7. But could you stop texting him and help me out here for a second?” Jen rolled her eyes.  
“I'm not texting him, I'm just monitoring where he is through the tracker I slipped into his vest.”  
“Very funny. Now come on, we got to go. We planned to go to the Natural History Museum today, remember?”  
“Of course, just... give me a second.”

* * *

“David, I thought you were sick and couldn't come back for today?” Gwen raised her eyebrows. David definitely looked sick, he was pale and squinted in the bright sunlight.  
“I'm just a little hungover, don't worry.”  
“Hungover? But you don't drink. What happened?” She took his hand and pulled him down with her as she sat down on one of the benches in the hall.

“And I don't. But yesterday... You know I was in town because Amy-” He swallowed and looked away. “-because Amy wanted to tell me something.”  
“Yeah. And?”  
“We broke up.” Tears began to well up in his eyes. “She cheated on me. And then I went to Daniel's place and he had ice cream and booze and my glass never seemed to become empty.”  
          “Oh, David, I'm so sorry.” She hugged him tightly and let him cry into her shoulder for a few seconds until he pulled away and wiped off his tears.

“Sorry, now I ruined your shirt.”  
“Don't worry, David. It's all good.”  
“But I have to say, it was really nice of Daniel to call you”, he sniffled.  
“I don't know... I don't trust him. You don't notice how he looks at you. I mean, I just saw him a few times, but don't you think it's weird how he appears out of nowhere where ever you are?”  
“Oh, come on, he's a great guy. You just don't know him. But you'll see, you'll notice when we work together!” David's usual smile was back on his face and as much as it relieved Gwen to see it, she couldn't stop to worry about her co-counsellor.  
“I don't know.”  
“Just promise me to keep an open mind. You'll see, he's just as much of a wonderful person as you are.”  
“Ah, so we are fucked.”  
“Language, Gwen”, David laughed and hit her on the shoulder lightly.

* * *

“I can't take this shit anymore!” Max paced up and down in the tent in front of Neil and Nikki.”If David will get as depressed as after Bonquisha broke up with him, I swear I'm going to kill someone!”  
“Max, do you remember the last time you said something like that and Gwen made us all go through a lesson about what we should and shouldn't say and do. And it just turned to become a lesson about how to kill someone without getting caught while David stood in the corner, cringing until stepping in to cut her off? I don't want to go through that again!”, Neil complained.  
“Yeah, she does know an awful lot about killing people. It was awesome!” Nikki balled her hand into a fist.

“Guys, guys.” Max held up his hands placating in the air. “As much as I hate to say this, but we have to watch out for David and try to keep him happy.”  
“Aw, you really care about him, do you?”  
“Nikki, shut the fuck up. I don't care about David in the slightest! He can eat a double-dick sandwich as much as I care.”  
“Sure, Max.” You could hear the sarcasm drop from Neil's voice. “So, how do we keep him happy?”  
“As if I would know. I'm the little bastard trying to break him and make his life as bad as possible and not some kind of fucking fairy that shits happiness.”

“You could go up to him and say that Camp is the best thing that ever happened to you in your life. On second thought, that would probably kill him.”  
“I don't want to make him THAT happy, I just want to prevent him to turn into Sad-David.”  
“Let's lead some wolves into the camp!”, Nikki piped up.  
“What the fuck, Nikki? How would that make David happy?”  
“I don't know, it just sounded cool.”  
Max pinched the bridge of his nose.  
“Okay, listen up, I have an idea.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just watched the season finale and it fucked me up. Max is such a cute little shit. And he cares so much for David and everyone else. And in general, that episode was harder to watch than the finale of Assassination Classroom.  
> I was switching between squealing and being fucked up like an idiot.
> 
> Ah, the next chapters are going to be so nice and wholesome... Before everything will go downhill and everyone will hate me for doing what I said from the beginning. That this won't be a nice, romantic relationship but an abusive one.


	9. Fire Safety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max tries to make David happy. He does good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to edit the chapters to include more paragraphs since it makes the fictions easier to read.

"Hey David. You know, after the disaster with the bonfire, maybe you could show us how to make one responsibly and in accordance to all the government guidelines." Max tried to keep his smile up. That was going to be tedious.  
          "That's a wonderful idea! And tonight, we can all sit around it, share stories and I could sing a few camp songs!"

 _Where does he even keep the guitar? Where does he pull it out from? Thin air?_ , Max wondered as he tried to keep up his smile.  
          "Sure thing, that sounds awesome." He could hear Nikki and Neil groan and shot them a quick glance when David began to talk how he always knew that Max would come to love the camp eventually.

"So, why don't you tell Gwen and we go and get the other campers?"  
          "Oh, yes, we have to reschedule! We planned to play a little game."  
          "David, you and Gwen are so capable, I'm sure we can built this bonfire, play your prepared game and then enjoy the fire."  
          "Aw, thank you, Max! It is so nice of you to put your trust in us."  
           _And a fucking bad idea_ , Max added silently.  
          "Of course I trust you two!"  
          David smiled happily and went off to look for Gwen.

“Okay, now we just have to sit still while David explains shit, we play along with their stupid bullshit game and get bored to death until it's time to sleep. Bam, David has the best fucking day ever.”  
          “And what do we do if he gets depressed in a few days? It took him two weeks and a fist fight to get over Bonquisha!”, Neil reminded him.  
          “Have you looked at him, Neil? He's pale as death and looks as if he hasn't slept in ages. He's obviously hungover. We'll worry about that when it comes to that.”

* * *

“The only question is, what has he planned.” Gwen narrowed her eyes and looked over to Max, still talking to Neil and Nikki.  
          “I'm sure, he hasn't planned anything. Come on, Gwen, it will be fine.”  
          “Every time you say something like this, it goes horribly wrong.” She could feel her stomach cramp with anxiety. 

* * *

“And this is, why we have to first clear an area of 6 to 10 feet before we can start building the bonfire.” David smiled excitedly at the campers. He didn't even seem to notice that nobody listened or cared. Including Gwen, who had picked up one of her magazines.  
          Nobody. But one.  
          “You mentioned that we should never use rocks from a river. Why?” Max had his hand up in the air.

“Excellent question. Rocks from a river or any body of water are moist. They could explode because of the heat.”  
          “David! Now we have to fucking look after them every time they go near the lake”, hissed Gwen.  
“Don't worry, it will be fine.”  
          “Ugh.” Her stomach cramped up again.

“Today is actually a really good day for making a fire. The wind is only light and blows towards the lake. It would be bad if the wind turned, since sparks or embers could fly over towards the woods. Then again, it wasn't too dry the last days, reducing the risks for wildfires, even if the distance to the grass would be too small. But dry enough that we won't have issues to ignite the fire later.”

* * *

They stood in front of the piled up wood. They had built it under David's supervision on the shore of Lake Lilac so that they wouldn't have to dig a pit.  
          The campers would probably not admit it, but all of them had a lot of fun to search the forest for wood they could use to burn them. And they learned a lot about which kinds of wood they could burn more or less safely and which would release toxic fumes and how they could identify the sort of tree it came from.  
          Gwen had spent the entire time looking over the whole group, but concentrating on Max, Neil and Nikki. They seemed awfully nice. And Max hadn't insulted David or cussed. It made her... uneasy. They had to have something planned.

* * *

“Alright kids, since we have some time left before we will light your awesome bonfire, Gwen an me have a little game prepared.” David pulled out a ball. It was a normal volleyball.  
          “The rules are pretty easy, so everything should be able to understand them.” Gwen had set aside her magazine and stood next to David.

“We will set up two teams and throw around this ball. Before we throw, we yell the name of the person that we want to toss the ball to. And that person should catch it. And when the ball is thrown, you tell them something you like about them.” Collective groaning.

“If they catch the ball, their team gets a point, if they miss, your team gets one. If you have to throw it and your team has an uneven score, you tell the other person something you dislike about them. And since that's harder, you will get a point if you manage to tell them anything at all, but you won't get another point if they don't manage to catch the ball.”

David looked around and smiled.  
          “So, one team will get me and the other Gwen. Who want's to be team captain?”  
          It was quickly decided that one team would consist of Max as the captain, Gwen (he had quickly called dibs on her), Nikki, Harrison, Preston and Neil. The other had Ered as the captain with David, Dolph, Nurf, Nerris and Space Kid (or 'Other Neil').

* * *

David held the ball up in one hand.  
          “Preston!” He threw the ball softly to the kid. “I love your passion for theater.”  
          Preston fumbled around a bit but managed to hold the ball securely.

He threw the ball with a little more force than would have been necessary to Space Kid, yelling something about a 'serious lack of acting talent'. Space Kid let the ball fall down.  
          “2 to 0 for us”, announced Gwen.  
          Space Kid threw the ball over to Nikki. “You are an adventurer like my great grandpa.”  
          Nikki caught it with ease and hurled it towards Dolph, who didn't seem to pleased to be called 'Mini-Hitler' but caught the ball, updating the score to 4 to 1 for Team Max.

The ball swapped sides a few more times until the score was very much even with 5 to 6 for Ered's Team.  
          David threw the ball to Neil who let it fall to the ground. Neil threw it over to Space Kid. “I am the better Neil! And I hate that you are the other Neil.”  
          “Wow, please keep being nice to each other!”, David chirped in.

Space Kid had some trouble to come up with something mean after catching the ball but finally told Max that he didn't appreciate how mean he could be.  
          “7 to 8 for Ered”, Gwen reminded.

“David!” Max stopped for a second. “Yeah, I got nothing.” He tossed the ball. David had lowered his hands in surprise.  
          “Fuck, watch out!”, Max managed to warn David right before the ball found its target (David's face) and nearly knocked him out.  
          “David, are you alright?” Gwen jogged over to help him get up to his feet.  
          “No. I'm half left.”  
          “Make a shitty joke like that again and I'll throw you in the lake while you are sleeping”, she threatened. David rubbed his forehead where a red mark formed.  
          “But hey, I caught the ball. Nice throw, Max.”  
          “Okay, 7 to 9 for Ered.”

David immediately announced that he would throw the ball to Gwen.  
          “I never pointed it out, because it seems like a part of your personality... but I'm not a big fan of how much you're cussing.” He slapped his hands over his mouth. “I'm so sorry, oh golly, that was so mean. It was a snap decision.” The words stumbled out of his mouth before he could really wrap his tongue around them, making the breaks in between them hard to notice. It sounded more like a very long word than a whole sentence.

A short silence fell between the two groups.  
          “I think, we could be generous and count that as a negative statement. 8 to 10 for Ered's Team”, Neil said.  
          The ball found its way to Harrison.

“Nerris.” He turned red and let the ball roll through the air. “I like to have you around. And sometimes you are the most difficult person to deal with. But then again, I think you are pretty perfect.” Harrison had mumbled it more than said and Nerris had trouble to understand even though she stood really close.  
          “Thank you, Harrison”, she whispered back, her face just as red as his.

* * *

They settled with a score of 16 to 16 when it was too dark to see the ball.  
          “We should light up the fire.” Gwen tossed Max a box with matches. “Will you do us the honour?”  
          “Of course.”  
          Gwen watched him setting fire to the dry grass and leaves which was stuffed at the bottom of the wood pile.

“As if I wouldn't notice that you tried to make David happy, you little shit.”  
          “Shut up, as if I tried to do something like this.”  
          “Thank you, Max. You really did good.”  
          They looked over to David, who already had his guitar in his hands, trying to set his mind to a song he should play.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a really nice and happy chapter. I initially planned to accidentally let them set fire to the camp. But no, I thought 'You know what, David deserves a little happiness.'
> 
> And I ship Harrison and Nerris. They are so cute together and I hope they stay friends until they both find out how much they adore each other in high school and start dating. And they never break up.


	10. Ursa Major

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some stuff goes wrong. And Daniel and Jen begin to talk about the night sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I researched about myths of the constellations. And I find it so fucking funny, that my starsign was sent to annoy someone until it got killed (I'm a cancer and it's said that Hera sent that crab to annoy Hercules in battle until he killed it) xD

"Max", David called him over, dangerously calm, his hands on his hips.  
          "I didn't do it!"  
          "I've had it up to here with your behaviour today." He held his hand up around the height of Max's head. "Now come down from that tree in an instant."  
          "No." Max grabbed the branch tighter and shook his head.

"I swear to fucking god, I will burn Mister Honey Nuts." Gwen held up the stuffed bear.  
"Gwen, don't you think it's a bit harsh to threaten a ten year old to burn his favorite plushie?"  
          She jumped, startled by the sudden, quiet voice behind her. Daniel was already creeping her out and how in hell could anyone walk so softly that you had no idea he was there until he decided to talk?

“Can't you wear a fucking bell around your neck or something?”, she snapped at him.  
          “You mean like a cat so they can't hunt birds anymore?” He chuckled. “I'm so sorry I'm scaring you, Gwen. Max.” He turned his attention to the boy in the tree. “Would you mind coming down? I promise, you are not in trouble.”

“Fuck you, psycho!”  
          “Hey, language”, said David and Daniel in unison.

“It's all good though. We have the fire under control thanks to the amazing teamwork of everyone, nobody got hurt and nothing was destroyed. You can come down. Nobody here is mad at you”, Daniel added and smiled.

“No!”  
          “Max.” He cracked his neck and his smile grew wider. “You can come down, so it's way easier and more comfortable to talk. Or I come up there and make you come down.”  
          Max froze for a second before slowly climbing down. If he would have needed to describe the aura that radiated off of Daniel, “murderous intend” would be the first thing that came to his mind. He had he gut feeling that Daniel would have 'accidentally' just kicked him out of the tree. And he had no intention to experience a fall of more than three meters.

“You see, it's all good. Gwen, I left Jen to take care of Scotty. Could you maybe go and see if the campers are doing fine.”  
          Gwen looked as if she wanted to contradict him but finally turned around and marched towards the still smoking camp.

“So. Why don't you tell us why you tried to burn down the camp hall?”  
          “I already told you, I didn't.” Max ignored Daniel and chose to talk only to David. Daniel cracked his neck again.  
          “What do you mean?”, David asked.  
          “I meant it like I said it.”  
          One time. Just once, you are innocent. But that's the time nobody believes you.

Max had been in his tent, grabbing a fresh cup of coffee when he heard the screaming. He had stepped out and saw the latest new-comer of the camp, Scotty, a frail, red-headed kid in visual comedy camp, run through the tents with a burning scarf.

Flames licked out of the windows of the hall, burning the wooden walls. He saw the majority of people in the camp trying to get the fire under control before it could spread out to other buildings, the tents or the woods, so he ran after Scotty who in his panic didn't seem to realise he could just rip the scarf from his neck and instead ran headless towards the lake without seeing it was there.

He was pushed aside when a panicked David passed him, picked the burning kid up and... threw him into the lake. A snap decision, obviously, but so unintentionally funny that Max found himself unable to stop laughing.

Soon after, the fire had been under control and he heard a terrifying sound.  
          “MAX!” Gwen rarely raised her voice. She sometimes yelled and cursed. But that was a scream, he never wanted to hear again. And when his parents had taught him one thing, it was to not let himself being caught immediately after such a scream. It was usually worse than when the adult had some time to cool down. So he had climbed up the tree.

* * *

“Why do you feel the need to question everything, Neil?” Daniel smiled.

The hall had been surprisingly easy to fix. It still smelled faintly of smoke, but no real damage had been done by the fire. Nobody really knew why Scotty's scarf had caught fire.  
          The whole camp as well as the children from Jen's and Daniel's church had settled in the hall after replacing destroyed parts and began to talk to each other about their beliefs.

“You can't mean that seriously.” Neil stared at him. “You can't seriously think that we live on a prison planet that was kicked out of the galactic confederacy after they defeated their leader Xeemuug und trapped him under a mountain.”

“Does David actually not notice that this freak is a batshit crazy cultist?”, Max whispered to Gwen while watching Neil argue with said cultist.  
          “I knew something was up with him, but holy shit, there are so many things wrong with this guy.”  
          “I think David is the only one here that is totally oblivious of that. Maybe Jen and those cult kids too. But they at least seem like they are just as uncomfortable about how Daniel is treating David than we are.”  
          “I have the feeling that we are heading to a disaster.”  
          “Me too, Gwen. Me too.”

They proceeded to watch how David finally decided to step in and lecture Neil about how he should be inclusive and open-minded. Daniel seemed awfully content with David partially taking his side.  
          Even though he probably had no idea that Daniel viewed his opinion about respecting everyone's belief systems as if David had taken his side.

* * *

“Since ancient times, we as humans have observed the stars and have told stories about the constellations.” Jen smiled, as she stood in the middle of campers and counsellors in the night. Her figure was illuminated by the light of the stars and the moon. In her eyes the reflection of the light as she looked up.

“We have told stories about heroes, about villains, about monsters, gods, good and evil. And we put them into the sky, into the stars to be viewed and never forgotten.” Daniel sat on a log and pointed into the sky as he talked. “There you have Aquila, the celestial eagle, servant of Zeus, who held his thunderbolts, performed errands and may be the eagle that devoured Prometheus' liver after he stole the fire from the gods to give to humanity.”

“Or Ursa Major, the bear that was once a woman. Callisto has been a beautiful princess and had vowed to be a chaste hunting companion to the goddess of hunting, Artemis. But Zeus seduced her by taking Artemis form and when Artemis noticed the princess being pregnant, she expelled Callisto. Hera, the wife of Zeus, cursed her to become a bear after giving birth to a son.”

“Zeus prevented her from killing his son, giving him into the messenger god Hermes, who gave him to his mother, the Pleiad Maia, who raised the boy.”

“Years later, Arcas, the son of Callisto and Zeus, is hunting through temple grounds when he sees a bear. He sends an arrow through his mother's heart, unaware of he she is, and she ascends to the heavens as Ursa Major.” Jen sat down beside Daniel.

“There are many myths about her, though. Some say, that Callisto has been one of Zeus' many girlfriends, and one day, as they were walking through the woods, Hera came down from the heavens. So Zeus transformed Callisto into a bear. Hera knew him well and did not believe he was there alone, so she forced him to come with her back to the Olympus. As they were gone, Callisto's son was hunting, saw his mother and shot her.”

“Then there are some, who say that Callisto was transformed into a bear by Artemis, for having broken her vow of chastity. And some people say, that Zeus intervened when Arcas was preparing to shoot his mother. He turned Arcas into a bear as well and gave them a place among the stars as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. But Hera prevented them from sinking below the horizon to drink the waters of Oceanus, keeping them thirsty for all eternity.”

“And therefore, you can see them year round as long as you stay on the northern hemisphere.” Daniel smiled at the stars. The moonlight glistened in his hair, making it seem even paler, and giving it a silver shine. It drew soft shadows on his face and let his eyes shine with the life of uncountable far away worlds.  
          David found himself unable to look away from the man. He looked incredibly handsome with the small smile, playing around the corners of his mouth.

Gwen glanced around. Everyone seemed to be in a nearly trance like state, being enchanted by the soft voices and fantastic stories. By the soft light and the silence of the night, which not even crickets seemed to want to disturb.

And suddenly she knew how people, intelligent and normal persons, could get drawn into a cult, believing into their leaders and giving up themselves as individuals until they would do anything for them. When the leaders could express the same or an even more enchanting persona than Jen and Daniel, it would be hard for anyone to not listen about what they had to say. It took everything she could to not forget everything around her and find herself hypnotized.

Her gaze found Max. He sat there with crossed legs, elbows on his knees and his face in his hands, staring intensely at the couple sitting on the log. Completely lost in their narration, just as everyone else.

Something sploshed in the lake and the spell was broken. Suppressed laughter and whispers circled through the campers. Clothing rustled as some children re-positioned themselves.

Gwen looked at David. He still sat there on the ground, unmoving, watching Daniel. A new wave of the feeling of impending doom washed over her as she saw Daniel turning his attention away from the sky and onto David, capturing his eyes, trapping him in an invisible cage.  
          It was only when Jen began to start a new story about the mythological creatures in the sky and Daniel joined her, finally freeing David from his capturing eye, that he found himself being able to move again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so strange to write about a character with the same name as you...  
> I needed an unimportant side character to set fire to and Scotty was in one episode for a few seconds. And I'm called Scotty by 90% of the people I know.  
> All I could see while writing was myself, running around with a burning scarf. Honestly, it really could have been me.


	11. Counsellor Buddies For Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camp is almost over.   
> Some stories are shared. And Gwen tells David again how she thinks about Daniel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't, you should watch the Animated Adventures from Rooster Teeth. I needed a few stories and the two in this chapter were told by Miles Luna, the voice actor of David. I just changed a few minor things.
> 
> It's actually amazing, how many parallels you can find between their stories and scenes in their shows.  
> And Gavin or Google, watch it. They played it 12 times and sometimes you are amazed by how strange Gavin thinks. They take a few words, type them into Google and take the most funny auto complete and ask Gavin to complete the question.

"It's incredible how much you know about the constellations." David walked next to Daniel. They were outside on the way back to the counsellor cabin, the children in their tents and Jen and Gwen sitting inside, probably going through the activities for the next day before heading to bed.  
          Daniel put an arm over David's shoulders and gave him half of an hug.

“I wasn't able to thank you that you took care of me after Amy and I...”, he began but was quickly interrupted.  
          “Oh, no need to. I just did what everyone would have done.”  
          “No, no, don't be so modest. I really appreciate it and I just wanted to say, I'm terribly sorry that I behaved like I did.” David looked at the ground.  
          “What do you mean?”  
          “Well, that I... tried to... uhm... get in your pants.” David whispered it more than saying it, stuttering with burning ears.

Daniel laughed. David couldn't help himself but smile. Daniel's laugh just had something in it that made his heart jump.  
          “I didn't think you'd remember that.”  
          “It came to me after I left like 'Did I really do that?'”  
          “Well, yes, you did. But don't worry, I don't think different of you or anything.”

Daniel looked around. They stood outside of the counsellor cabin without opening the door and he wondered how long they had been standing there. Jen and he slept in the attic of the mess hall since there was at least another bed in there for whatever reason.

“I guess we should go to sleep.”  
          “Thank you for not taking advantage of me.” David spoke to the ground. Daniel placed his hand on David's cheek and waited until he looked up into his eyes.  
          “I'd never do that.”  
          He leaned forward and softly laid his lips on David's.  
          “See you tomorrow”, Daniel whispered into his ear before leaving him on the doorstep, confused and flustered.

* * *

“David?” Gwen poked him in the ribs.  
          “Hm?” He flinched.  
          “Do you have a story for us?”  
          “Oh, yes!”

They had settled around a small fire at the shore of the lake in a circle. Normally, they would have told creepy stories about monsters, ghosts or killers. But tonight, they had settled for something else.

“So, I have been to a Zombie Run once with a friend. And at the beginning, you get these cards with instructions when they tell you where to go and what to do. And there were two kinds of Zombies. Runners and Walkers. And it was like in the movies where you sneak around, and someone runs towards you, screaming “Walkers!” and you turn around and run away from a hoard of the undead that are shuffling slowly around.”

Gwen raised an eyebrow. David at a Zombie Run? He never had told her. But recently, she noticed how little she seemed to know about him. He was much more distant than usual. And didn't focus on his work anymore. Something was off. Very off.

“And we are sneaking around, and see a bridge. With a safe zone at the end. But the bridge is swarming with zombies. And there is this guy who says 'Don't worry, they are all walkers. Maybe we can run over it when we split up.'  
          We are beginning to run over the bridge and suddenly, someone screams that there are two Runners behind us. I look back and sure enough, there are two zombies running after us. And I see the safe zone. It is really close. I'm nearly there, so I sprint faster.”

“Oh for fucks sake, don't tell me you tripped over your shoelaces or some stupid shit”, Max piped up.

“Exactly! I tripped over my shoelaces, and flew into the air. The next thing I know is, I lie on my back with the two Runners next to me, asking me, if I'm okay. And I grab one by the shirt and tell them 'Just bite me, that's the way it's intended to be'.”

“You fucking idiot.”  
          Laughter and giggles filled the air.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Daniel pointed at him.  
          “That was you! The Zombie Run in Austin, Texas. I was one of the Runners. And we are chasing a few people down a bridge towards a safe zone. And suddenly, this one guy flies into the air, does a flip forward and lands on his back. You were the one who told me to bite him!”  
          They stared at each other bewildered.

“Could you two stop fucking each other with your eyes? Daniel, do you have a story?” Gwen interrupted.  
          “Let's see...” He looked away.

“Oh, it's not about me but a friend. He got the award for being the most likely to injure himself while job training. He had gone to a job interview right before the training for another job started and stood there in a full suit outside while everyone was there in normal clothing.”  
          Gwen looked over to David.

“The first thing they had to do, they would be paired up and had to link arms to run through an obstacle course. Normal team-building exercises. But because his shoes where so slippery, he fell down, injuring himself and his partner.”  
          David laughed.

“The next day, he's there in normal clothing. And he falls down, rips five people with him and sprained his ankle. And that was, why he got the award.”

* * *

“David? Why did you tell Daniel about our job training as counsellors?” Gwen and David laid in the beds in the cabin.  
          “Oh, I didn't. Isn't it hilarious how two people can have the exact same experience?” David laughed.  
          “He was clearly talking about you, David. He eyed you the whole time. He didn't even blink. It was so creepy.” Gwen shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.  
          “It was just a coincidence.”

“How high do you think the fucking chances are for someone else to do the same thing as you? And this guy being close to someone who would, out of millions of people, be here and tell that exact story? David, he is dangerous. I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but it's nothing good. It's not healthy.”  
          “You barely even know him.”

“And you do? The whole time, he is next to you, he inserts himself into conversations, he doesn't let you alone. He's driving you away from everyone else. And he probably got the information by stalking you. You even said yourself that he always seems to know where you are and what you are doing. I have a bad feeling about him.”  
          “It may sound like that, but it's different. He is a good guy, sometimes he just has trouble showing it.”

“You know you are making excuses for him, right? I don't want him to hurt you. I'm worried about you. And don't you think, he's moving a little too fast? It wasn't so long ago that you and Amy...” She let the end of her sentence hang in the air.  
          “That's so sweet of you. But don't worry, I'm fine! It's going to be okay!”

“I don't trust him.” She sighed. “But at least it will go back to normal in a few days. I mean, camp is almost over.”  
          “Yeah.” He sounded sad.  
          “But hey, counsellor buddies for life. You'll always have me!”, she tried to lift his mood.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed that I accidentally called Ered Erid for a whole chapter. I fixed it. 
> 
> And I really have to redo my planning because I have changed the story so much that I have to rewrite it nearly completely. I willobviously not change the ending or a few plot points I wanted to include, but well, my brain made me change the story. Totally not my fault.


	12. The Devil's Son Straight Out Of Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of smut. And some backstory to Daniel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brother gifted me with a writing editor app. Hemingway.  
> Because 'It's pretty cheap and your style isn't very flowery and shit'.  
> Can someone give this guy a medal? Best brother in the fucking world.
> 
> Anyway, I tried it out and it seems like my sentences are sometimes pretty long. Something my teachers always pointed out and I never saw (I can stretch a sentence over half a site and it would still seem natural to me). 
> 
> I like the app. It underlines stuff like (but not limited to) long sentences and adverbs. And since those are the things my teachers pointed out, maybe it will help me.

* * *

"And this is why you shouldn't go hiking without telling someone!" David grinned at the horrified children in front of him.

"And- Nikki! What have I told you about kicking people?" The addressed had kicked Neil, who was sitting next to her, right in the face without warning.  
          "To not do it." She looked at the ground and scratched on the ground with her shoe. "I'm just trying to have a good time."  
          "And that's wonderful. But you shouldn't do it, if it hurts someone else."

"What the fuck, Nikki?!" Neil took the hands from his face where a red spot in form of Nikki's shoe was forming.  
          "Language, Neil", David reminded him.  
          "English", he snapped at the counsellor, earning quite a few giggles from the others.

* * *

"You know, until I was six, I thought owls are called 'wood penguins'." Daniel casually took David's hand while they walked through the trees.  
          "You're kidding me."  
          "I wish. My father, he was a violent alcoholic and not the best dad you could have, never corrected me. I have no idea why I thought it, though."

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that." David squeezed his hand.  
          "Don't worry, it's fine."

They proceeded to stroll through the woods in silence, enjoying the company of each other. Connected through their hands.  
          “We should do this more often. You and me and nobody else.” Daniel smiled into the dark. “I enjoy to be with you a lot.”  
          “Me too.”

* * *

Daniel pressed himself against David, pushing him against a tree. He felt David's hands creep under his shirt when he laid his on David's hips.  
          He could feel David breathing heavier when he began to suck and lick on his neck. Sweet moans filled the air and his ears.

Daniel's lips traveled upwards and captured David's, their tongues fighting for dominance.He opened the button on David's shorts, pulled down the zipper and slipped his hand down his pants.  
          David pulled him closer and moaned into his mouth when he closed his hand around the shaft.

Daniel slid his hand down and ran his thumb over the head, spreading the small amount of pre-cum that was already present. He turned the attention to David's neck again, suckingat a point he had noticed was very sensible. His hand moving at aslow pace across David's length. So slow that it was agonizing for David.

David let his head fall against the tree and bucked his hips into Daniel's hand.  
          “Daniel...”, he moaned. The pressure of Daniel's body pressed against his vanished. He had pulled back and they were now only connected through David's hands on Daniel's back.

“I told you to not call me Daniel several times already, David.” Daniel clutched David's chin, staring with stone cold eyes into his. “How stupid are you?”  
          “I'm sorry, Danny.” Tears began to fill David's eyes. “I'm sorry, please, let go. You're hurting me.”

Daniel's eyes widened. He immediately opened his grip and hugged David.  
          “I'm so sorry, Davey. I didn't mean to! Please, believe me.”

David smiled over Daniel's shoulder, his face showing nothing but sadness and compassion.  
          “It's okay, Danny. It's okay.”They stayed like that for a few seconds until David laid his hands on Daniel's chest. Without using a lot of force, he pushed him away until his back hit another tree.

“I'm sorry I upset you. Let me make it up to you.” He kissed Daniel before dropping on his knees, not even waiting for an answer before he opened Daniel's pants and let them fall to the ground. He looked up into Daniel's eyes when he pulled down his boxers and took his member in his hands.

David took the head in his mouth and twirled his tongue around it. Daniel moaned and grabbed David's hair, pulling lightly on it.  
          David moaned around his dick and Daniel pulled a little harder on his hair.  
          “Oh, do you like that?”

David nodded enthusiastically, took more of his length into his mouth and began to bob his head. He let his tongue massage the underside of the shaft.

Daniel leaned harder against the tree, panting. David sped up and let Daniel's cock slide even deeper until it almost triggered his gag reflex.  
          Daniel grabbed his hair hard, thrusting into his mouth. David placed his hands on Daniel's hips to steady himself a little while Daniel pushed deeper into him. Leaving him no choice but to take it and struggle against his gag reflex.

David's moans vibrated around him, causing the tension that had coiled up inside him to release at once. David pulled back upon tasting the salty liquid. He looked up and swallowed everything before standing up and kissing Daniel.  
          He could still taste himself on David's swollen lips.

* * *

“Danny?” The sat at the foot of a tree, cuddled into the arms of each other.  
          “Hm?”, he hummed and played a little with a strain of David's hair.  
          “Can I ask you something?”  
          “Of course. You can ask me anything.”

“Why do you hate it so much when people call you Daniel?” David sounded nervous, almost as if he was afraid to ask. Or what the answer could be.  
          Daniel sighed and pulled him closer into his arms.

“My father was a raging alcoholic. He would drink. Almost everyday. And almost everyday way too much. And when he was drunk, he would become very aggressive.” He paused for a few seconds. David wondered if he should ask further or let it drop because Daniel seemed to not want to talk about it when he started again.

“And because he was drunk so often, you couldn't do anything most of the time without punishment. I had my first broken arm at four years old because I had broken a vase. Before that, my mother often moved between us. When I was an infant, I would often cry. And she would shield me from his punches, making him even more furious. And making me cry more.  
          He would often hit us with everything he could get his hands on... I actually have a scar on the back of my neck because he hit me with a bottle. It shattered and a piece of glass cut so deep into my skin that my mother had to bring me into hospital to get stitches.”

Daniel turned to show David a bulging, jagged scar.

“I was taken away from my family when I was sixteen because of the violence, child neglect. And because my father had friends that were heavy drug users that would do drugs around me. A police officer had done a drug awareness presentation in school and someone had asked how you could shoot heroin if it's a powder. Being my helpful self, I explained the exact method how you have to melt it on a spoon over a flame.” He laughed.

“To be frank, the teacher wasn't pleased. So I was sixteen, have had a few serious injuries, and more minor ones than I could count. I had witnessedhim raping my mother countless times, one time so voilent that he broke her pelvis. And got into an orphanage.  
          I hated it. It wasn't much better than at my parents. It was dirty, there were too many children and too few staff members." He stared into the distance without seeing anything.

"But I get off track. My mother was the most affectionate mother I could imagine. She was small and thin, and the cutest woman I know to this day. She would always just call me Danny. Never Daniel. My father on the other hand... he called my Danny when I finally had done something right. And Daniel when I had done something wrong. Or when he hit me.  
          And I just... I can't stand it when people that are near to me call me by the same name I always associated with pain. With punches, cuts, bruises and concussions.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes while David let Daniel's story sink in and Daniel waited for a reaction, any reaction.

“I'm so sorry.” David spoke in a quiet, gentle tone.  
          Daniel smiled, pressed his nose into David's hair and inhaled his scent.  
          “It's alright.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor, poor Daniel.  
> And to everyone who thinks 'Why the fuck would David apologize when Daniel was the one hurting him and why would he immediately try to make it up by using his body?': Wait until next chapter, because I will provide some backstory for David in that.


	13. The Angel With The Haunted Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly: David and Daniel being cute together.  
> And a glimpse into David's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, the abusiveness slowly gets more. Finally I can write the interesting stuff.  
> ... That sounded wrong. Very wrong.

* * *

Fall had taken advent into the country, covering the land with golden light. The days had gotten noticeably shorter and temperatures had dropped from around 100 degrees Fahrenheit to a chilly 60 degrees.

David yawned and slowly opened his eyes. He could see outside the window from his position, lying in bed on his right side with his head on Daniel's chest. The trees right on the other side of the glass swayed in the wind. Some of the colourful leaves were ripped from the branches and flew through the air.  
          He smiled when he felt Daniel play with a stray strand of hair.

“Morning.” He turned to face Daniel and placed a feathery kiss on his lips.  
          “Morning.” Daniel smiled at him with a smile that looked just as lazy as sleepy. The morning sun made Daniel's face softer. His tousled hair gave him the look of a college student that had skipped school to sleep in.  
          The sight made David's heart leap with joy.

“Ugh, breathe the other way.” David wrinkled his nose and playfully shoved him away.  
          “Why, do I have morning breath?”, asked Daniel and proceeded to blow his breath into David's face.

It took another few minutes for them to stop giggling. Daniel wrapped his arms closely around David.  
          “I wish we could stay like this forever. With harsh wind and dropping temperatures outside, you in my arms, staying warm by blankets and the body heat of the other. It's perfect.”  
          “Me too.” David thought about it for a second. “Even though it seems almost surreal.”

“What do you mean?”  
          “I don't know if I can explain it. It's just... we are here and everything is perfect. It's almost too good to be true. I almost expect to wake up every second.”

Daniel thought about it. He could hear a crow cawing in the tree outside.  
          “Do you hear that? If it was truly perfect, it wouldn't be a crow. We would hear some birds singing their beautiful songs and-”  
          “It's a raven. Not a crow.”

Daniel placed another playful kiss on David's lips. “You are my brilliant little cutie-pie.”  
          David slapped his arm just as playful. “Stop it.”  
          “Never. I love you, David.”  
          “I love you too.”  
          They shared a long and deep kiss.

* * *

“Davey?” Daniel fiddled with a corner of the sheets. “I'd like to ask you something.”  
          “What is it?”  
          “I was wondering... You know, you said it's perfect but...”

“Danny. Look at me.” David cupped Daniel's face with his hands and looked him in the eyes. “You can ask me anything.”

“Please, move in with me. You are already pretty often here and it's spacious enough. I mean, you only have to stay there 24/7 during summer camp weeks. And for the rest of the year you can easily drive to camp in fifteen to twenty minutes-”  
          “Yes!” David interrupted Daniel's rumbling with his excited exclaim. “Of course I want to move in with you!”

Daniel's whole face lit up with his smile. He threw his arms around David, pulled him close and kissed him. Finally, soon his David would belong to him and him alone.

* * *

“I think, I have to tell Gwen that I'll practically move out of the counsellor cabin.”

Another thorn in his eye. Gwen. The name alone filled him with an envious rage that was as burning as it was hard to contain. He somehow didn't seem to be able to win her over. And she seemed to be so, oh so awfully close to David. To _his_ David.

“How about we tell her tonight? We could invite her to go to this new restaurant for dinner”, he suggested.  
          “Sounds wonderful!” David grabbed his phone and began texting. Daniel's eyes got colder. His jaw began to slightly convulse. What if David told her something he wouldn't tell him? What if he had secrets with her?

* * *

“Are you really going to wear, well, _that_?” Daniel raised an eyebrow and eyed the shirt David had picked. It was plaid green. The one he had worn to their first date, even though David still wouldn't call their meeting for coffee a date. The one his now ex-girlfriend had got for him.

“What's wrong with it.”  
          “Oh, it's nothing.” Daniel turned away and closed the last few buttons of his shirt facing the mirror. “I just thought you maybe wanted to look good. Wear the one I like tonight. You know the one.”

David bit his lip, turned around and searched for the other shirt. He didn't knew what was wrong with the first one. Hadn't Daniel complimented him on it the first time he saw him in it?  
          He took off the plaid shirt and slipped into an emerald green one. He didn't saw much difference. The fabric was different, and the colour was another shade, yes. But they were both green.

“Now you are as beautiful as ever.” Daniel had stepped up behind him, wrapped his arms around his waist and laid his head on his shoulder. He guided David in front of the mirror. “You can see that now, right?” Daniel kissed his neck.

There wasn't much difference. At least not for David. But it seemed to make Daniel happy. Maybe his fashion sense was just a lot worse than Daniel's. He should be grateful that he gave him advice.

* * *

“David. Listen to me, I don't think it's a good idea.” Gwen leaned across the table. She looked fantastic in her deep blue dress, accompanied by sparkling earrings and a necklace. Every male and several female heads had turned to look after her as she had stepped into the room.

“Daniel is not a good man. I know you are in love. Or at least you think you are. But your relationship... it's not healthy.” She looked around as if she wanted to check if Daniel came back already.

“What are you talking about, we have a wonderful relationship.”

“He's a controlling, manipulative jerk. Only today, he told you what to wear, he ordered for you and already made it clear that he's going to pay.”  
          “He's not controlling, Gwen. He knows how indecisive and unstylish I can be. He's helping me. And we all know that being a camp counsellor isn't a high paying job. He's just being nice.”

“David. I know about your parents and what you had to endure. I don't think you see that Daniel's abusing you because you haven't seen a healthy relationship.”  
          “Gwen... He's really not. He never hit me and he never forced himself on me, so he's not a real abuser.”

“I'm more talking about emotional-” She cut herself off mid sentence to start anew. “You just said he never hit you. But he did hurt you, right?”

David avoided her gaze as he thought back to the night in the woods when he had made the foolish mistake of using the wrong name. How Daniel had gripped his chin so hard that a bruise had formed. How he had to use some of Gwen's makeup to conceal it as he had done countless times in the past.  
          How Max had noticed the bruise and he had to lie.

“It was an accident. It was my own fault. And he apologized.”  
          “David, you have to leave him before he does something worse to you!”  
          “I-”

Whatever he had wanted to say stayed unheard as Daniel got back to their table, kissed him quickly and sat down.

* * *

“You are so quiet. What's wrong?” Daniel let his eyes sway from the street to David in the passenger seat.  
          “It's just... Gwen is my best friend. And I don't like it one bit that she's not okay with our relationship.”  
          Daniel reached over and rubbed David's knee.

“But you don't have any doubts, do you?”  
          “No, of course not. I love you.”  
          “Then don't mind her. It's our relationship. Not hers.”  
          David nodded and stared out of his window.

“There is something else, isn't there?” Daniel threw another quick gaze at him. “David. Look at me when I'm talking to you.”  
          David sighed and turned to look at him.  
          “You're right. Gwen said something about my parents and reminded me of my past.”  
          “What was it?”

David sighed again.  
          “Guess I have to tell you. You shared your past with me, so it's only fair if I did the same. We actually had a pretty similar childhood, it seems. My father was a violent man. But other than yours, he didn't need alcohol to take his anger out on his family.” He stared out of the windshield without seeing anything.

“He hit my mother and me on a regular basis. He didn't even need a reason. I was a wild child, so nobody at school suspected anything when I got there with bruises, broken bones or taped fingers. He forbid my mother to go out and she had to ask him for money if she wanted to go grocery shopping. Everything financial was under his control. And my mother was... I guess you could call it very submissive. She never said anything against him.” He thought a few seconds about his next words.

“'Yes, dear' and 'Of course, dear' were the two sentences I heard her say the most Outside of that, she was very quiet. I have seen her cry countless of times. But she never refused anything he ordered or wanted her to do. You know, I had to spent a lot of time at summer camps. But it was actually Camp Campbell which turned things around. I was searching for attention. Any attention, so I acted out. Until I managed to get something right and... I was awarded with a pin. It was something so incredibly small, but it meant a lot to me.”

“And so you became a counsellor at camp. To help children like you.”  
          David nodded.  
          “But the tale is not finished, right?”

He shook his head. “My mother died because of my father. Whenever she had done something wrong, she would calm him down by... I never saw them but I heard him moaning. And then, I decided to become a camp counsellor against the wish of my father. He was furious. She stepped between us. She had never stepped in before.” His face hardened.

“She sent me out while trying to hold him back. And I- I went. Never have seen them again. According to the police, she tried to 'Calm him down' and he took it too far. Hit her so hard that she died.”

Silence fell between them and filled the car with an uncomfortable atmosphere.  
          “Fifteen years. That's what he got.”

“I'm so sorry, Davey.”

“And now Gwen told me that I see my relationship with you as normal because I grew up with it. But... that's not true! I know that you love me and I love you. And we being together-”  
          “-it's a good thing in my opinion. We had similar parents. Maybe we can help each other heal. Forget the past.” Daniel took David's hand and squeezed it. “We are meant to be. I can feel it. And whatever has happened: it's in the past. And I will never let you go.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, David and Daniel will move in together. Little lovebirds.  
> And they both have a history of overbearing and violent fathers and a submissive mother. 
> 
> David has seen that if you upset your romantic partner, you should use your body to calm them down and does it himself without noticing it. And that you better do what they say.  
> Daniel learned how to charm people to get what he wants. And if they don't do it, well, then you have no other choice. It's their fault for not listening.
> 
> They had a similar childhood, but became very different adults.  
> Actually, a lot of abusers and victims have a history of domestic violence while growing up. Most don't even notice that they are repeating history.


	14. Maniac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel doesn't want David to go out by himself at night. And goes pretty far to show him why.

* * *

"David?"

"Yes?" David stood still. He didn't want to turn around and face Daniel who certainly had been sitting in a chair by the door for hours without moving or making a sound. In the dark.  
          He knew how Daniel would look at him. But he also knew that Daniel wouldn't appreciate it if he wouldn't look at him. He turned around.

Daniel had already stood up and stepped right behind him. David didn't want to look up and into his eyes so he concentrated on a point on Daniel's collar.  
          “Did you really think I'd fail to notice you sneaking out?” He took David's chin between his thumb and index finger and lifted it up.  
          “Look at me when I'm talking to you, David.”

David looked into his eyes. The feeling of being submerged in ice water flooded him. He couldn't breathe.  
          “Oh, honey. Don't look at me like that. Like you're afraid of me. It's hurting my feelings, do you understand?” Daniel gripped his chin tighter. “Answer me. Do you understand?”  
          “Yes, Danny. I'm sorry.” His voice was shaking.

“Good boy.” Daniel relaxed his grip again. “And now, please tell me where you are going and how long you're gone.”  
          “I'm just going to meet with Gwen. We wanted to go and eat dinner. It's almost Christmas and I wanted to hear how she's doing at camp and if she has someone to keep her company. I won't be gone long. Maybe two hours.”

“I don't like it that you're out by yourself at night. You know that I'm worrying about you, right?” He pulled David into a tight hug. David returned it without a second of doubt.  
          “I know. I didn't want to make you worry, Danny. I'm sorry.”

Daniel smiled. It made him happy to see how David cared about him.  
          “It doesn't make me worry less, though. It could happen so much.”  
          “We live in such a nice part of town, I don't think anything will happen.”  
          Daniel held him for a few more seconds before speaking again.

“And I don't appreciate it that you're seeing Gwen so often.” He closed his arms tighter around David. “Every time I see you together, it makes my blood boil.”  
          “Danny, please, let go.”  
          “I see the way she's looking at you. ”  
          “Danny, please, let me go, you're hurting me.”  
          “I see the way everyone's looking at you. But they can't have you. You're mine to own, understood?”  
          “Of course! Please, Danny, please. Let me go.”

A loud sob escaped David when Daniel bit into his neck and sucked hard on the skin. And then, as sudden as Daniel had appeared behind him, he was gone.  
          Tears fell from David's cheeks to the ground. He clutched his neck. Daniel hadn't broken the skin, but the bruise would be visible for at least a week.

“Now you have something to remember me. And she will know not to touch you.”  
          David forced a smile on his face and looked at Daniel.  
          “Thank you.”

Daniel closed the short distance between them and captured his lips in a sweet kiss.  
          “I love you.”  
          “I love you too, Danny.”

* * *

“Yes, he will be there in around five minutes. Is everything set up?” He listened to the voice on the other side for a while.  
          “Alright. I will be there... Yes, around three minutes after you make yourself visible.”

He looked through the window again. David had gone through the door and onto the street. He seemed to rub his eyes with his scarf.  
          “Thank you for your help.”

David's silhouette was soon swallowed by the snow.

* * *

“Hand it over, twink.”

David gulped. The knife glistened into the shine of the street light. His hand shaking so severely that his wallet almost slipped out of it.

“What's going on here?”  
          “Danny!” David sounded as if he was on the edge of tears.

“Leave him alone, will you?” Daniel looked the man in the dirty hoodie in the eyes with an unmoving gaze. He seemed not at all fazed by the fact that the other had a knife in his hand and stepped closer.

The mugger moved quickly. The next second, he stood behind David, a hand on his shoulder, the knife pressed against his throat.  
          “Come any closer and I'll kill him!”, warned the man.

Daniel stopped dead in his tracks. _Damn, that wasn't agreed. What is he doing.  
          _ The mugger winked at him. A _t least he won't hurt him._

David seemed frozen in his place.  
          A few seconds passed that felt like minutes before the mugger shoved David into Daniel's direction and vanished into a small, dark street.

David sobbed into Daniel's shoulder.  
          “I thought, he'd kill me.”

“Are you hurt? Is everything alright?” Daniel leaned in the direction in which the mugger had vanished. “I'm going to kill him.”  
          “No.” David clung to him. “Please, stay with me.”  
          “Do you at least see now why I'm against you going out by yourself at night?”  
          “Yes.”

* * *

Daniel looked at his sleeping lover. He caressed his cheek and stood up again.

* * *

“Thanks again for your help.” He handed over a bag with money.  
          “I don't think we should have done it. He's your boyfriend, right?”  
          “Yes. What are you implying?” Daniel narrowed his eyes.  
          “Nothing, nothing. I'm just saying that... it wasn't right.”  
          “It's too late now for you to have second thoughts, Kevin.”

The man known as 'Dirty Kevin' sighed and opened the bag.  
          “It's not what we agreed on.”  
          “I took the freedom to recalculate. Since you took the freedom to improvise.” Daniel turned around. “If you don't agree with it, you can always go to the police.” He laughed.  
          “Just remember, that I have enough material to make you go behind bars for a long time.”

“But I'm just-”  
          “Believe me. I have taken care of a lot of things. I heard they don't like pedophiles in prison.”  
          “But I'm not-” He was cut off again.

“I'm on good terms with a lot of policemen. And who would they believe? The one working in his church, who never even had a parking ticket. Or the notorious drug dealer they will have photographic proof of touching a child?” Daniel smiled sweetly. Kevin's stomach turned around.

“I have never-”  
          “I know that. But pictures are so easy to manipulate.”  
          “You're a maniac!”  
          “Oh, no, no, no. I'm not. All I am is in love. And I have to make sure that David stays with me.”

* * *

“I'm sorry, but I had to do it.” Daniel brushed his lips against David's forehead.  
          “If I ever lose you, I don't know what I'll do.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm watching a show right now. And it's just about telling bad jokes. If you understand German, go watch 'Richtig Witzig' with Hugo Egon Balder.  
> You'll cringe. A lot. The jokes are so bad. But I can't stop laughing.


	15. You Made Me Do It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a big pile of abusive bullshit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to take a small break from writing because I have terrible impulse control sometimes.   
> I ruined my hands by punching a wall and nearly instantly regret it after I calmed down a bit.   
> ...You don't realise just how much you do with your hands until it hurts to move your fingers. Writing on paper or electronic? Hell no. Throwing cards? Building card houses or practicing some sleight of hand magic? Kill me now.   
> And you wouldn't think how much you use your hands when reading.
> 
> Anyway, it's okay now. My hands still hurt a bit after a few hours or when I stretch my fingers. But it's fine.
> 
> Don't punch things.

 

* * *

David looked at the ground. He didn't want to show how conflicted he was.

"David? Are you listening to me?" Daniel's voice was soft. It flowed through the air like a sweet composition until it hit David with the force of a whip. He flinched  
          "Yes."  
          "Then maybe you want to look at me." It was clear that, regardless of the wording, it was an order. David raised his head.

"I- I'm sorry, Danny, but to do that..." He gnawed on his bottom lip.  
          "You saw what happened last time I let you go out alone. And now you want to leave me for a whole month?" Daniel closed the short distance between them and pulled David into his arms.  
          "But I won't leave you, Danny, I just... I mean, I've been a counsellor at camp for years now. I love my work and I-” He shut his eyes. “-I don't want to give up my job.”

“So you don't think I can provide for you? Is that it?”  
          “No, Danny, no, know you earn enough but I love my job-”  
          “-more than me. I get it.” Daniel let go of David and turned his back to him. “If you really loved me, you would do this for me.”

David tried to hug him from behind, but Daniel shrugged him off.  
          “I do love you! I love you more than anything.”  
          “Then quit your job.” Daniel shut the door to the bedroom. David sighed and sat down on the sofa. He looked at the thin blanket on the edge. Another cold and lonely night for him. He curled up under the blanket.

Tears began to flow hot over his cheeks. Was he really such a bad person? Danny had to have a reason to shut him out. Maybe he deserved this. Danny was just worried about him. And he did have a point. Last time he went out alone, he nearly got mugged.  
          After that, Danny had always been at his side. And nothing had happened.

But he didn't want to quit. Was it really so bad from him to want to keep working?  
          He reached for his phone but remembered that Daniel had it when he felt the empty pocket under his fingers.  
          'Give me your phone, I'm going to read your messages', he had told him.

* * *

“It's not that I don't want to work with you anymore, Gwen, I- I-” David stuttered and looked at Daniel who sat in an armchair and seemed to read a book. It was obvious however, that he observed David out of the corner of his eyes. He hadn't turned a page in minutes.

“I have another job.” The lie burned in his mouth. But he couldn't tell her the truth. “Yes, it was quite a surprise for me, too. Sorry, but my phone's nearly dead, I'll reach out soon. Yeah, bye.”

He hung up and fell down on the sofa. Daniel stood up, sat down next to him and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

“I knew you'd do the right thing.”  
          David put his head on Daniel's lap. He smiled when he felt Daniel's hand on his shoulder. How he had missed his gentle touches in the last three days...

* * *

“Do you really have a new job?”  
          He avoided her gaze and poked his food with the fork.  
          “David?” She sighed. “You don't have a new job.”  
          He shook his head.  
          “Did Daniel made you quit?”  
          No response.

“I'm worried about you, David. You have changed. You used to be so optimistic and happy. But now... I don't recognize you anymore.” Gwen reached over the table to put her hand on his. He pulled his away before she could touch him.

“You have to leave him. Do you remember what we talked about? When I was researching domestic abuse? We agreed to help each other when we notice that the other is being abused. I want to help you.”  
          “Danny's not abusing me.” It was the first time that evening that she heard him speak. “We had a rough patch, that's all.”  
          “A rough day. Then a rough week. A rough month. 'It's just a rough patch'. How much I hate that phrase.”

“I think, I should go.”  
          “Why, because he told you to come back soon?”, she spat out.  
          “No! In fact, he doesn't even know I'm here.” David stood up. “That was a bad idea. I don't think we should repeat this.”

“David-” She stretched her hand out as if she wanted to grab him by the arm.  
          “What?” He turned around. The look in his eyes made her drop her hand. She clutched it over her heart.  
          “I'm always there for you.”  
          His face softened. “Thanks, Gwen.”

* * *

“So you finally came home.” Daniel sat in his armchair, his legs crossed and with David's phone in a hand. “Did you really think I wouldn't notice? How you go out, even though I asked you not to go out alone. You could have at least tried to delete the messages. It's like you don't even try to deceive me.”  
          “I don't want to-”  
          The phone cut threw the air and practically exploded next to his head at the wall. David winced.

“Why do you disrespect me, David?”  
          He heard a sickening crunch when Daniel smashed his head against the wall and cried out in pain. Daniel held him there.  
          “Shut your whining. I hate-” He gripped David's hair, ripping some out in the process, and smashed his head against the wall again. “-that I have to do that. But. You. Won't. Learn.” His head met the wall with every word harder.  
          “Why do you have to make me do that?”

David gasped for air when Daniel wrapped his hands around his neck. He couldn't breathe. Tears flowed over his face. His nails ripped on Daniel's hands and forearms. He couldn't breathe, why couldn't Danny see that? Why did he kept choking him?

His vision started to blur. Blackness on the edges that moved closer to the center. His movements got slower.  
          And finally, just before he would have fallen unconscious, Daniel let go. David sucked the fresh air in as if he hadn't breathed for years. It hurt in his lungs, but it was better than the burning of the lack of oxygen.

He slid down the wall, unable to keep himself up, coughing, his hand on his neck.  
          A hoarse cry escaped him when he felt his ribs crack from a sharp kick.

“Why. Do. You. Have. To. Make. Me. Do. That.” Every word was followed by another kick.  
          David lay curled up on the floor. He coughed. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, making him sick.

In a sudden wave of strength he didn't know he had in him, he managed to close his hand around Daniel's ankle and yanked on it. Daniel, caught by surprise, lost balance and struggled to keep standing.  
          David used the moment, pushed himself up and ran through the next open door. The bathroom. He banged it shut and locked it with shaking hands.

He heard Daniel crashing into the door, screaming for him to come out. David crawled into the bathtub.  
          Every time the door shook under Daniel's hits, he winced. And prayed that the door would hold up.  
          Exhausted from crying, he finally fell asleep after what felt like hours.

 


	16. 'I Won't Leave'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David sees what Daniel has done to him and Gwen has to answer a pretty uncomfortable question.

David stared in the mirror. Unmoving.

The door had held up to Daniel's attacks. David had to quality work, like everything in their home. It had been shaking with every blow, but he doubted that there were signs of damage anywhere on it. But then again, Daniel's rage had only lasted for about ten minutes until he seemed to have calmed down. Still David had preferred it to stay the night curled up in the bathtub with a towel as blanket and another one as pillow.

His hand ghosted up to his throat to touch the blossoming bruises on his neck. Blackish blue and red stood they in harsh contrast to his pale skin.  
          Normally, he had a nice tan, but he hadn't left the house in a while. Daniel had asked him not to and it he knew it was the best to not ignore him.  
          Even without trying he knew that he wouldn't be able to talk for at least the majority of the day. His throat hurt.  
          Before he could touch the marks, he pulled his hand away and moved it down to remove his shirt. He closed his eyes and stood there in the chilly room. Shaking not because of the cold but out of fear what he would see if he were to open them.

He inhaled sharply and stared at his torso. His stomach turned itself into a knot.  
          After a few seconds, he managed to try and check his ribs. It was agonizing to touch them but he was mostly sure that they weren't broken.  
          David sat down on the edge of the tub. Was Gwen right? When Danny was able to do... _that_ to him, what else was he capable of?

A sudden wave of guilt washed over him. He shouldn't think like that.  
          Danny was not a bad person. And they just had a unique relationship. Danny had a good reason to... put him in his place. Hadn't he told him? He hated that he had to do it. But David made him do it.  
          So it was his fault. Danny wasn't the problem, it was him! Without a doubt, he was the one who had disrespected his partners wishes and had gone out alone. And it hadn't been the first time that Danny had waited for him to come home to scold him.  
          It just had never turned physical before.

A soft knock, oh, so different from the banging earlier, ripped him out of his thoughts.  
          “David?”, Daniel asked. His voice dulled from the door, but still undeniably caring and soft and loving. He was there to apologize, David was sure. Because Danny loved him.  
          He fumbled with the knob, eager to throw himself into the arms of his lover.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry”, he sobbed into Daniel's shoulder. It hurt to talk, and he sounded almost unrecognizable, but he had to tell Danny. “It's all my fault. I love you, Danny.”  
          “David-” Daniel took a step back to look at him with sorrow in his eyes. “-you did nothing wrong, I have to apologize. I got angry at you for nothing and now you can't even talk. I feel terrible. What I did was wrong and I promise, I'll never do it again, just please, don't leave me, I don't know what I'd do if you ever left-” The words flowed out of his mouth without him ever stopping for air and were only silenced when David moved in to place a soft kiss on Daniel's lips.  
          “I won't leave”, he croaked. “Come. No talking.” David took his hand and lead him into the bedroom.

* * *

Next summer – First day of Camp

“What the fuck do you mean, David's not here?” Max narrowed his eyes to glare at Gwen.  
          “Like I said, he's not here. And I'm sorry to tell you, but he won't come back.”

“What is he, dead? There's no way in fucking hell the idiot would quit. Wait, did I do it? Did I finally break him?” Max had always thought he wanted David to not show up. To make him miserable enough to quit. To show him that happiness was an illusion. But now with the prospect of not seeing him anymore... Max felt lonely. Empty, almost. David was annoying for sure, but he had always tried to make Max happy.  
          And now that David was gone, he realized: Shit, David had actually managed to do that. He had had an amazing time at camp. And even wanted to come back. He had waited with excitement until summer. To see his friends again. To have fun again. For the only time of the year.

“It's not your fault, Max. David has- He made a few choices he thought would be best. And one of them was to quit.” Gwen tried to smile. She couldn't. All she could do was to keep the truth away from Max. He was only a kid.

“Gwen, we both know that's not the whole story. What the fuck happened?”  
          Gwen laughed, she had almost forgotten how good Max was at reading the atmosphere.  
          “In a few years, you could become an excellent detective. Or serial killer. I don't think you'd ever be caught.”  
          “There's only a murder investigation if they find a body. Otherwise, it's just a missing person”, he joked back. “But don't try to distract me. What happened to David?”

Gwen sighed. No way in hell she could ever try to hide something from that kid. Even though he was only eleven or twelve years old, he was so mature that you eventually forgot that you talked not to an adult after some time. But still. She shouldn't tell him.  
          He would probably find out everything without her telling, but as soon as that wouldn't happen, she wouldn't say a word.  
          “Sorry, but I can't explain it.”

* * *

“Listen up, we have to get out of here and find David.”  
          Nikki and Neil stared at Max.  
          “I miss him, too.” Nikki kicked her feet back and forth.   
          "So how are we going to find him?", asked Neil. Nobody asked why Max wanted to find him even though he had spent the whole time at camp to torment David. And Max had never been more grateful.

 


	17. Shopping trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel and David go out to the store. Because food is nice and you have to eat.   
> They run into Max who is not really up to believe that David would just give up his counsellor job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, I finally managed to write another chapter. I really try to work more on my fictions but... I don't know. Life's exhausting sometimes.

* * *

Daniel yawned. He was tired. Tired but still happy. He turned around and wrapped an arm around David's waist, pulling him closer, and buried his face in his neck. He took a deep breath and placed a few light kisses on David's skin.  
          He could hear the smile in David's soft sigh.

“Morning, dear.” David turned around, now himself wrapping an arm around Daniel's waist. Daniel admired the sunlight falling into David's eyes, making the green lighter, reminding him of the first fresh shoots on a tree after a long and hard winter.  
          “Morning.” He smiled softly and pressed his forehead against David's.  
          Another few minutes went by in which they lay there, enjoying the warmth of each others touch until Daniel moved his hand from David's waist to his face and kissed him.

“We need to get up. We are out of... well, nearly everything to eat.”  
          “I don't want to”, David whined. He pulled Daniel closer. “I want to keep cuddling. You're so warm.”  
          “You could even say that I'm hot”, Daniel grinned.

A few minutes later, David's stomach growled and after checking that they were in fact out of food, he agreed to a trip to the supermarket.

* * *

David pushed the cart, Daniel sleepily trotting next to him through the seemingly endless aisles of the store, sometimes stopping to throw an item into the cart. He looked almost small in the oversized shirt.

“I'll go and check if they have this new book... the... you know the one. With the man and the dog?”  
          “Of course! Uhm...” David scratched his neck. “I forgot the title”, he admitted.  
          “Yeah, me too. Could you get some milk, but I'm begging you, the kind without lactose this time, and eggs while I look around for it?”  
          “Sure.” David gave him a quick kiss and began to push the cart towards the back of the store.

* * *

“Max? What are you doing here?” David blinked in confusion. He had just grabbed a bottle of lactose-free milk (nobody would want to see another incident with normal dairy after last time) and suddenly a child had clung to his arm, trying to pull him away.  
          “Come on, David, quick, before he comes back!” Max tugged on his arm. David stared at him without moving a muscle. Frozen by his own confusion.  
          “What? Before who comes back?” He looked around. “Max, are you here alone? Are you in danger?” He gasped. “Did someone hurt you?”  
          “No, you moron! I'm talking about Daniel. We have to go before he comes back.”  
          “What? Why?” David felt like a broken record, repeating the same questions over and over, because the answers only deepened his confusion.

“You didn't come to camp and when I asked Gwen, she wouldn't tell me. She just said that you 'made some choices'.” He stopped tugging on David's arm to exaggerate his statement with air quotes. “And we all know that's bullshit. You'd never give up being around dumb kids in the middle of nowhere the whole summer. So it has to be because of Daniel. Nikki and Neil agree, they are waiting outside. We are here to bust you out.”  
          The words had sputtered out of his mouth so fast he nearly had stumbled over them. Max's grip on David's arm got harder and he tried to pull him to the exit with all his strength.

“Max.” David's voice was soft. Max pulled harder on his arm. “Max.” An unusual tint of harshness crept into his voice and David laid his free hand on Max's arm. “It's okay. I'm not here against my will.”  
          Max stopped his efforts to get him out of the store and stared him in the eyes.  
          “What do you mean? But Daniel... He has to have something to do with it...”

* * *

“Hello, Max.” Daniel kissed David on the cheek and laid an hand on his shoulder. “I thought you'd be at Camp Campbell?”  
          “Daniel...” Max stared up to him.

“Hey, honey, I'll talk to our... guest... a bit. Would you finish shopping?” Daniel smiled.  
          “But I'd like to talk to-” David gasped in pain when Daniel gripped his ribs hard. David managed to muster up an half convincing smile. “Of course, Danny.”

Daniel waited until he saw David turn around a corner at the end of the aisle before he bent down and held Max with a harsh grip by the shoulders.  
          Max struggled to free himself and get away from the blond man.  
          “Let me go, you fucking psycho!”

“That's not nice of you, Max.” Daniel's voice was low and had a warning tone to it. “And if you scream, just know that I know how to find you. And all of your little friends. Even if you've run away from camp. And I swear, you will regret that you screamed when I get a hammer. And a nail. And nail a knife to your hand. Because after that, I will guide your hand to slice open those friends of yours.” Daniel dropped his smile. “And I will enjoy every second of seeing you cry while the warm blood of these children flow over your hands and splatter on your face while I force you to gut them like fish. Maybe. Maybe I'll let you die after having a few hours or days of fun with you and your friends.”

The polite smile returned to Daniel's face.  
          “Max. Max, look at me when I'm talking to you.”  
          Max reluctantly looked up to meet Daniel's gaze.

“You were here because you wanted to steal my David away from me. But as you have seen, he does not even want to leave me. He is mine. He belongs to me. And if I ever-” His knuckles turned white when he put more force into the grip on Max's shoulders. “-ever talking to my David again, I can't guarantee what I'll do. But it won't be pleasant for you. And I can be very creative.”  
          Max tried to wriggle free. “Please let me go, you're hurting me”, he whimpered.

“Oh, now you remember what manners are. You disgust me. You come here without a plan. Nobody would even miss you when you were to disappear. Because that happens with little boys who can't mind their own business. They disappear. And don't even try to argue with me. I have seen the forms you handed in.”  
          He relaxed his hands a little.

“Parents who don't care... Who always argue... Parents who hate you... Oh, how much they must despise you. The rebel... Never being able to be proud of their son.” His voice was barely a whisper now. Tears formed in the eyes of the child. Of the poor, easily influenceable child.

“Even if you told anyone what I told you. If you said something about David not being with me on his own accord. Do you really think, they would believe you? The rebel of the camp. The one always making up stories. And you have seen David. He would say anything to keep being with me. And your word would just stand against ours.”

He whispered into Max' ear: “Nobody believes children. And they'd never believe you. Like your teachers. They never saw your bruises. They never saw the burns. And when you told them, they did nothing.”

Daniel stood up and began to walk away before he changed his mind and turned around again. Tears streamed over the face of the child. He smiled brightly.  
          “Goodbye, Max.”

* * *

“Max, what happened?”, Neil asked. “We were worried. You were gone so long and-”  
          Max shook his head. He didn't look up.  
          “Max?” Nikki asked. “Did you... Did you cry?” Her voice was unusually soft and caring. She reached out to touch him.  
          Max flinched back.

“Let's just go back.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, poor Max~   
> Daniel saw right through him.
> 
> I have no idea how I manage to actually write a romance fiction (Amico Nostro) and be such an... absolute... idiot when it comes to romance.   
> I literally said to my girlfriend "I like your face. I mean... your face... it's good."   
> But at least she's not really better. She told me I was "crunchy" when I cracked my neck. When I asked what kind of crunchy and began listing foods ("Like a chicken nugget?") she said "like a frozen chocolate bar".  
> So... we are both useless idiots.


	18. Nevermore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max has finally told Gwen after a week what Daniel told him in the store. Gwen isn't pleased and wants to talk to Daniel. But the only one home is David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read a metric fucking shitton of Edgar Allan Poe. I'm sorry, I had to use quotes.

* * *

David's eyes shot open. He raised his head from the book on the table.

_Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,_  
_Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore -_  
_While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,  
_ _As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door._

The lines shot through his head as he got up and went to open the door. Had Danny forgotten his keys? The knocking had woken him up from a light slumber, Daniel had gone out to do... something, he knew Daniel had told him, but he couldn't put his finger on it, and he had decided to read a little. Seemingly, he had fallen asleep over it.

Another series of knocks interrupted his thoughts. They were less of a gentle rapping, as he first believed through his fatigue, and more of a vicious banging though.  
          “Coming”, he called out, yawning.

“Gwen?”  
          She had nearly punched him in the face as he opened the door, wanting to knock again. David blinked. She looked... different than usual. Her hair was in the usual ponytail, but looked disheveled. Her shirt stuck half in her shorts, half hang out. She looked sweaty, as if she had run the whole distance between the camp and the town.

“What are you-”, he started, only to be cut off by her.  
          “Where.” It wasn't a question. David gulped. He had only heard that tone, that cold, harsh tone, once before. It was quite difficult to make Gwen furious. And even then it never made him worry. Now he could see such a burning hatred in her eyes that he wanted to curl up somewhere.

“Where? What are you-”, he tried again, only to be cut off a second time.  
          “Where is Daniel? Where is he?”  
          He contemplated closing the door. Danny did ask him not to talk to Gwen or the campers without him present.  
          “Not here. I have no idea where he went.” He bit on his lip. He really should just close the door.  
          “Cut the bullshit, David, where is the fucking asshole?”  
          “I don't know, I swear!”

Gwen sighed and, becoming suddenly aware that he had grabbed his collar, let go of the fabric.  
          “I'm sorry, just... Max finally talked to me.” She ran her hand through her hair.  
          “What are you talking about?” Gwen looked him in the eyes and saw his genuine confusion.

“Max, Neil and Nikki snuck out of Camp last week to 'rescue' you.” She emphasized the word with air quotes. “And when they came back, Max was... different. He didn't do anything. Just sat in his tent the whole day. And it didn't change. Finally, he gave in and told me what happened.”

“He ran into me in the shop”, David said slowly. “He was worried about me. Danny wanted to talk with him alone and asked me to finish shopping meanwhile. He said everything was alright.”  
          “Well, that's not what Max told me. Daniel threatened to kill him and his friends and-”  
          “-He'd never-” Gwen held up her hand to shut him up.

“And he held him by the shoulders with so much force Max had bruises. Even now, a week later. Plus you know how Max' parents are. And Daniel told him that they hate him and nobody would believe that he threatened a small child.”

“I know Danny, he'd never do that!”, David denied the accusations.  
          “David, I don't think you see him clearly. He's dangerous.”  
          “He's not. He has his issues, but everyone does. I don't know where Max got the idea from that he threatened him but it's- it's just a misunderstanding!”  
          “And the bruises? I saw them, David.”  
          He gnawed on his bottom lip. “I don't know... I just... Danny's not a bad person.”

“Is that why you have bruises on your neck? And your arms. Also Max told me about how you reacted when Daniel touched your ribs.” David's hand flew up to cover the mentioned spot, even though he knew that Gwen couldn't see the still very visible bruise on his ribs through his shirt. He stayed silent for a minute.  
          “You know how easily I get bruises”, he whispered. “It's nothing.” The lightning in the bathroom probably swallowed a lot of yellow colour. He could have sworn that his neck was healed.  
          “Some of them on your arms look fresh. I'm worried about you.”

“He's not a bad guy. We just have-”  
          “-a bad patch?”, Gwen asked. “We had this conversation before. You have to leave him.”  
          David stayed silent.  
          “Please, come with me.” Her voice was pleading now, offering him an exit.  
          “I- I can't”, was all he could say. Then he shut the door, locking his best friend out of his life.

David slid down on the wall, wrapped his arms around his knees and put his head in them. He loved Danny. And Danny loved him. That was enough. That had to be enough.

Of course, Danny had his issues, but didn't he tell him last time, he wanted to be better and last night, he said that he, David, was the one that made him feel better? He was the key to making Danny a better man and he had plenty of issues himself, didn't he? How could he leave someone in need of help? Someone that had asked him to stay because he was the only one who could ever provide said help?

And it wasn't always bad. They had their good times. A lot of their time they spent in harmony. Like in October, they had been pumpkin carving for Danny's church. They had spent the whole day covered in pumpkin pieces and laughing while showing the other how funny the carved faces were.  
          Or Christmas, when they lay under fairy lights... Or their trip to the near lake a week ago, when they watched the fireflies dance through the night.

More and more examples of shared happy memories filled his mind.  
          And even after their... disputes, Danny never just left him alone. He always immediately apologised, holding David and talking to him, until he calmed down... Danny was always by his side when he had it rough. Nobody else. Always Danny.

He laid his head against the wall and looked out of the window. He could have sworn to see a raven flying by.  
          What a dumb thought, leaving Danny...

_Leaving?_ , he thought, _Would I ever leave? “'Tell me – tell me, I implore!' Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore.'”  
          _A sad smile on his face, he sat on the floor until dawn began to let darkness creep into the building.

_Yes, Nevermore._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, another slow chapter in which practically nothing happened. The next will be ... different. Daniel had asked David not to talk to Gwen or the campers alone. Basically, he had asked him, not to talk to anyone alone. Also asked is probably not the right word. Daniel will not be happy.
> 
> And as a last note: Nobody should be lonely. If you ever feel like you have nobdy to talk to, you can always message me. You can see my E-Mail Address on my profile or you can use Instagram (my account name is piezonedcupcakes). When you are not comfortable talking to a stranger, please reach out to someone you know. People care about you.


	19. A new rule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel is mad because David talked to Gwen even though he 'asked' him not to.  
> Violence and Smut chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll indicate start and end of the smut with a *

* * *

"Danny, please, let go of me-"

Daniel grasped David's throat tighter and cut him off. David gripped his wrist and tried to make him loosen his grip.  
          “I thought I asked you not to talk to Gwen. At least not without me.” He saw David's pleading eyes get unfocused. His struggling got weaker. Daniel pushed him against the wall harder for a few seconds before letting go.

David probably would have fallen to the ground, if not for Daniel, who had his other hand on his shoulder, pinning him to the bedroom wall.

“I'm sorry, Danny”, David managed to say through his coughing. “She just wouldn't go and then-”  
          “Then you listened to her lies.” Daniel compressed his throat again. “If it wasn't for me, you'd be long dead in a gutter. You are so lucky to have me and how do you pay me back? For all that I have done for you? You disrespect me! You don't listen. You never listen!” His knuckles went white. David's nails dug into the back of his hand, scratching over the skin, drawing blood.

Daniel pulled on David's neck, causing his head to get closer to his own, before slamming it into the wall.  
          There was no air in David's lungs which he could use to try and make a sound.

Daniel stared coldly at him for another few seconds.  
          “Don't think it is fun for me to have to teach you lessons, David. I hate it.” He allowed David to breathe again and stepped back.

“Take off your shirt”, he ordered. David had sunken to the ground, coughing and gasping for air, his hand on his throat.  
          “I don't like to repeat myself.”  
          David's hands were shaking when he unbuttoned his shirt and let it slide over his shoulders to the ground. He had gotten noticeably thinner and skinnier, his ribs protruding harshly.

“Stand up and turn around. Hands on the wall.”  
          David did how he was told. He heard Daniel taking off his belt, the leather scraping against the fabric of his pants.

* * *

The first strike caused him to wince and groan in pain. He knew, he had brought it upon himself. He just had to stay still and-

Another strike hit his bare back and he could just barely hold back a scream. He felt tears well up in his eyes and let his head fall against the wall. Another three hits and the tears streamed down his face. A loud sob escaped his mouth.  
          “Keep quiet. I don't want to hear you. You are responsible for making me do this, so keep it down or I'll gag you.”  
          David pressed his forehead harder against the wall and gritted his teeth. He tried to breathe normally while hit after hit hailed down on his back.

David finally felt the strikes getting less and less powerful, less precise. Daniel's hot and heavy breath hit his neck.

***

“I don't enjoy to have to teach you lessons... But I really enjoy to have you half naked in front of me...” He pressed his body against David's and ran his hands over his chest. He flicked his fingers over a nipple, playing with it until it became firm.

David gasped when Daniel bit down on his neck hard. He felt blood rushing to his groin. His hand ran through Daniel's soft hair, who opened David's pants and let it fall to the ground. His underwear followed suit.  
          He moaned when Daniel took his dick into his hand, quickly bringing him to a full erection while kissing and sucking on his neck, his other hand still playing with David's nipples.

“God, I love to hear you moan like this. The only thing better is hearing you scream my name in absolute ecstasy”, he whispered.

“Stay on the wall, honey.” Daniel kissed David's shoulder and rushed to the drawer in which they stored their condoms and lube. David heard Daniel take off his clothes and put on a condom.  
          Daniel lightly touched David's hips to guide him to stick out his ass more, before gripping one of his cheeks to spread him. David wanted to help him and reached around.  
          “No, keep your hands on the wall. I want to fuck you like this.”  
          David blushed and pressed his hands against the wall again.

He felt Daniel pouring lube over his asshole. It was cold and he shivered in anticipation.

He pushed himself on the slender fingers, rubbing over the muscle, spreading the lube in the process. A husky moan fell from his lips when he felt one of the fingers enter him, slowly and gently pushing past the muscle.

Daniel was as gentle as ever during their foreplay. Playing with David's chest, kissing the sensitive spot on his neck, waiting and asking if David was okay with him entering a second and then third finger.  
          David stood at the wall, moaning and shaking while Daniel worked his body.

Daniel aligned his member, coated in lube, with David's hole.  
          “Look at me.”  
          David turned half-way around to lock eyes with Daniel.  
          Daniel watched closely how David panted and struggled to keep his eyes open as he entered him slowly.

“Danny-” David sounded breathless.  
          “Is it okay if I start moving?”  
          “Please, f-fuck me.”

Daniel started slow, rocking his hips gentle and loving. David moaning and gasping on the wall, drops of pre-cum on his dick.

***

Around half an hour later, they laid arm in arm on the bed, Daniel on his back, David in a kind-of-hug on his chest. His back hurt, even though Daniel had cleaned the wounds from the belt and treated them with an antiseptic and soothing ointment.

“I have to admit, I enjoy seeing you without clothes...” Daniel dragged his fingers over David's chest.  
          In a second, his arm was wrapped around David's neck, choking him.

“You don't seem to listen whenever I teach you a lesson. So I think I have to do something that goes... deeper. Is longer lasting.” He kept silent for a few seconds, listening to David's choking sounds.  
          “I think, I know something that I actually would enjoy. Listen closely, dear: I expect of you to undress when you're home. No underwear. Do you understand?” He loosened his hold a little to let David answer.  
          “Yes, Danny. I understand.”

“Just so we are clear... I expect that because I know that you'll be uncomfortable, but I still enjoy seeing you like this. It's supposed to be a punishment for your frequent misbehaving and ignorance of the things I ask you to do or not to do and not a punishment for me. The next time you don't treat me with respect, I will turn to methods that leave marks. So I'll either use a knife or I'll brand you.” His voice completely flat. It was nothing more than a bland statement, a promise even.

"I understand."  
          "Good." Daniel kissed him tenderly.

 


	20. No One Can Hurt You Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David watches a documentary about a woman who shot her abusive husband. And he finally has reached his breaking point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gone so long, oh goodness... 
> 
> According to my planning, the next chapter will be the last. And will probably be pretty short.

* * *

The gunshot rang in his ears. Just a small movement. So easy. So... so nothing. It wasn't hard to get a gun. Daniel sent him shopping alone more and more, now that he had to work again. A small, insignificant turn on his way home. A little additional purchase. A hiding spot in the cupboard. The one Daniel didn't use. Or just waiting for him to come home with the gun in his hand.

A small movement. Loading the gun when he brought it home. Cocking it. And waiting. Curling his finger around the trigger when Daniel came home... And just a little more pressure. Nothing more.

He shook his head and turned off the TV. He couldn't, couldn't he? No, no. He would never... he shouldn't. He'd be a murderer.

He finished to clean the window. Daniel had left to go to work. David had turned on the TV while cleaning so it wouldn't be so quiet. A movie came on. A documentary. A woman being hit by her husband. Choked. Talked into sex. Stalked, isolated, locked in. She shot him. He had no idea how it ended for her, but he couldn't watch it longer.  
          It gave him ideas...

* * *

 

"Davey? Where are you?" He let the door fall shut and locked it. "David! Come here!"

_Like a dog..._

He pressed up to Daniel. He knew it was dangerous to come close when he was mad. But it was even more dangerous when he wouldn't do what he was told.

"What took you so long?" He cupped David's face with his hand. Gentle. Like always.  
          "I'm sorry. I was just finishing to clean." He didn't flinch when Daniel applied more pressure.

"Such a good husband you'll be. It was a hard day at work." He did seem dishevelled. David dropped to his knees in an instant and avoided his gaze when he opened his pants for him.  
          "Such a good husband..." He stroked his hair. Tangled his fingers in it when David pulled his pants down slowly and moaned softly.  
          "You are so good for me. I love you so, so much, Davey."

David ran his tongue along the underside of his member. He felt the soft flesh under his hands and wrapped his lips around the head. Daniel moaned and gripped his hair tighter.  
          “Look at me.”

He didn't want to. He didn't want to raise his eyes and look in the familiar face, the eyes he knew so well.  
          He looked up immediately.  
          “Good boy,” Daniel hummed and pushed against him.

David moved his tongue across the head and began to bop his head. Became faster. Let Daniel thrust into his mouth. Looked up into his eyes with tears forming in the corners of his own.

* * *

David cuddled up to him. They lay in the bed, limbs entangled. New, fresh bruises on his skin. Daniel slept soundly.

He couldn't. He had done everything. Pleasured him with his mouth and then turned around to offer himself. Like a whore. Spread his legs when Daniel was done spanking him with his belt and letting his fists crash on his ribs and face, and dragged him to the bed by his hair.

He was ashamed. Let himself get used and used again. Daniel's words mouthed on his skin, whispered into his ear, moaned in a sloppy kiss. He hated himself.

"You're so beautiful." "I love you." "You are so sexy all battered up." "I love you." "I love you." "I love you."  
          "I love you, too."  
          It had left a bitter taste in his mouth.

* * *

He ran. With nothing more on him than his clothes.

The hut had pretty much nothing in it. But it would be okay. He pressed himself in a corner and wrapped his arms around his body. He shivered under his jacket. It wasn't cold. But his already slim body had lost even more of his mass in the last year and a half.

It would be okay. It would become okay.

* * *

“Where is he?!” She screamed at him and gripped his collar tightly. “Daniel, answer me! How long has he been missing?” Tears streamed down her face.  
          “I... I don't know.” He rubbed his eyes. “I came home and he was gone, I thought he was shopping or went out.”  
          “Cut the shit, asshole! You controlling, manipulative piece of shit, where is he?!”  
          “I don't know! He's gone for two weeks, I have no idea where he is and I just... I just want my boyfriend back!”

He sobbed a few times. Gwen let go of his shirt, turned around and ran out of the house.

He let his breath out and grabbed his jacket. Two weeks. And not a fucking word. He had to find him first. He couldn't live without him. And David had left him. He had said he loved him.

* * *

“Davey? Hey, honey...” He crouched down beside him and smiled sadly, when David scrambled away.  
          “You're just skin and bones. It's alright. I'm not going to leave you. No one can hurt you now...”  
          David whimpered when Daniel touched his shoulder. Softly. Gently.

“After everything I did for you, you are afraid of me? Come on, Davey. Don't you love me? You said you love me...”  
          He took him in his arms and rocked him a little.

“Gwen came. She told me that you left because you two are together. That you cheated. But I could never believe her. Because I know you. She was always against us...”  
          Daniel stroked his hair. It was longer now. Tangled and oily, not the soft mess it had always been.  
          “I searched everywhere for you to win you back. I'm so sorry, Davey. I know, I did things wrong. I made mistakes. But I'll get better. I know I can.”

He smiled and cupped his face. And smiled a gentle, loving smile.  
          “For you. I'll do everything for you. I love you.”

Hours. He had to sit there for hours and talk. And talk and talk. But now it was okay. David was with him. He'd be with him forever...

 


End file.
